No Rhyme or Royal Reason
by looneyluna
Summary: AU – Earth’s government is a matriarchal monarchy. Commander Malcolm Reed is the new head of security for Her Royal Highness Hoshi Sato. Malcolm is a stern keeper and Hoshi rebels. Edited for sexual content epilogue now up!
1. Default Chapter

Title: No Rhyme or Royal Reason

Author: Looneyluna

Rating: R

Code: R/S, Humor, Romance

Summary: AU – Earth's government is a matriarchal monarchy. Commander Malcolm Reed is the new head of security for Her Royal Highness Hoshi Sato. Malcolm is a stern keeper and Hoshi rebels.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Kathy Rose and PJ for beta reading and being my creative muses! You guys rock! Thanks to Kathy Rose for the title. Thanks to Chris for helping with the title.

--

Chapter One: A Royal Pain in the Arse

Walking past the palace guard, he nodded quickly and shifted his burden in his arms.

"Good evening, sir," the guard said, looking straight ahead.

"I trust your discretion," Jon called sternly over his shoulder, making his way to his burden's personal suites. He really was getting too old for this.

Another door opened and he stepped into her chambers. "Lights fifty percent."

A soft chime signaled compliance and the lights illuminated the room.

She was just going to have to sleep on the couch tonight. He wasn't going to make it to her bedroom, not with the extra weight of her dress tonight. As gently as he could, Jon set Hoshi on the couch and breathed a sigh of amused relief. Her red satin skirt was twisted around her waist, exposing her black-clad thigh…a totally un-royal pose. Straightening her clothes as best he could, he stood to leave.

Hoshi sighed, opening her eyes. "Deserter," she murmured softly. "I can't believe you're leaving me to marry…what's her name, again?"

"Elizabeth," Jon replied, kneeling in front of her and brushing an errant strand of hair away from her eyes. "And it isn't as though I'll be completely gone. I'm staying on in an advisory position."

"And to think, I fancied myself in love with you," Hoshi said with a discernible pout.

Jon chuckled, remembering that phase in her life. "You've always had a thing for older men, Your Highness."

"Your Highness," Hoshi snorted in disgust. "I hate it when you try distancing yourself from me. We really aren't any different from one another, you know? We're both human, and…"

"You have responsibilities ahead of you that would make any man cringe."

Her eyes clouded over and she sobered. "I know my duties."

"I know you do," Jon said.

"I hate them," Hoshi muttered, her eyes closing as though succumbing to sleep. "I'd give up the privileges for a real life."

"You know that isn't possible," Jon warned.

"I envy you, old man. In love with Elizabeth…going to marry her and have her children."

Jon laughed harder this time. "You mean she's going to have my children."

"Whatever," Hoshi replied with a yawn. "At least you won't be followed to the hospital when your wife goes into labor."

Jon stood and pulled the throw blanket over Hoshi. "Get some rest, Hoshi. You have an early appointment."

Frowning, Hoshi closed her eyes and drifted into peaceful oblivion.

--

Malcolm looked at the opulence surrounding him and waited. This assignment was definitely a step in the right direction, the proverbial feather in his cap. His accomplishments spoke for themselves and he knew why he had been chosen to fill Jonathan Archer's shoes. However, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling that gnawed in his gut like a festering sore.

He was totally unprepared. Captain Archer's decision to step down had been sudden and Malcolm's appointment had been instantaneous.

He didn't know squat about the royal family. He knew who they were – Queen Nora Sato and her daughter, Princess Hoshi Sato. The king had passed away several years ago of an untreatable genetic disorder.

That was it. That was about all he knew. He had no interest in the gossip rags or entertainment shows. From what he'd been able to determine, they would say or do anything to sell their product.

"There you are," a voice called out, breaking Malcolm's reverie.

Malcolm snapped to attention and watched as his predecessor walked up to him. "Sir."

"Follow me, Malcolm," Jon said.

Walking through the hall, Malcolm's eyes lingered on the grand portraits that lined the walls. Oil paintings really were a thing of the past, but it seemed the royal family indulged in portrait sittings annually. He focused on a painting of a young child and his gaze ran down the line of the hall. It was like watching her grow up.

Her hair looked like raven silk in all of the paintings, the lighting in them turning her hair almost blue in most of them. Twenty-plus portraits of her hung on the walls, silent testimony to her beauty and life. All of them except one had something in common – her somber expression. In her most recent sitting, the artist caught the faintest of smiles on the royal's lips – a mischievous smile.

She was strikingly beautiful, just like her mother.

He stepped into Jon's office and stood at parade rest.

Jon looked at his replacement and couldn't help the knowing smile that crossed his lips. A momentary glimmer of guilt passed through him for he felt as though he was sacrificing this man to a fate worse than death. Unfortunately, he was the only one qualified to take his place. The Brit was sharp and focused. It's what was needed for dealing with Hoshi.

The recent attempt on Hoshi's life a year ago had been a wake-up call for him – that and his longing for Elizabeth. Malcolm Reed was known in the political arena. He had protected the Prime Minister for several years now.

Although Earth's government was a bilateral party system, the monarchy had remained intact throughout the years, silent testimony to mankind's search for tradition.

"I understand the Prime Minister is upset over losing you," Jon said, sitting down behind his desk and motioning for Malcolm to take a seat opposite him.

"My lieutenant is perfectly capable of taking my place," Malcolm replied, choosing to remain standing.

"I've admired your dedication…and your discretion," Jon announced softly.

Only a select few knew the Prime Minister had a mistress. His knowledge was based solely on speculation. He knew there was a mistress, but her identity was a closely guarded secret.

"Yes, sir. I've –"

Slam! "An all-night orgy!" a shrill voice rang out.

Malcolm turned to see who had interrupted him and his eyes widened in shock as a blur of red satin stormed past.

The Princess was anything but poised. Her hair was in disarray and her dress was askew. And judging by her posture, she was hung over. Malcolm smirked.

Slamming a news PADD on Jon's desk, Hoshi ranted, "Did you realize I was at an all-night orgy last night? Boozing it up and doing drugs. Those hacks! I was just boozing. I don't remember any drugs, and I certainly don't remember any orgy!"

Jon grimaced as he saw the headlines of the popular entertainment rag – "No White Wedding for this Princess."

Hoshi straightened her dress and plopped down in the chair across from Jon, covering her eyes and sighing. "Why didn't you stop me?"

Rolling his eyes, Jon clicked the off button on the PADD. "Protecting you is my job, not ruining your fun, Your Highness."

She winced at his tone as she remembered telling him off last night. "I said that, didn't I?"

Jon merely nodded.

Shrugging her shoulders, Hoshi looked chagrined, yet made no attempt at an apology. "The next time I pull a stupid stunt like that, I give you permission to stun me and remove me from the situation."

Smiling, Jon looked over Hoshi's head. "Tell him that."

Hoshi jumped and turned in the chair so she could who was behind her. Just as she caught a glimpse of dark hair and blue eyes, her slippery satin dress caused her to slide in the chair. With a yelp, Hoshi slid to the floor.

With reflexes quicker than one would think a man his age had, Jon moved around the desk and helped Hoshi to her feet. "Princess, may I introduce Commander Malcolm Reed. He'll be taking my place."

With a firm scowl set upon her face, Hoshi looked at the man who wasn't much taller than she was. His uniform looked as though it were pressed with him wearing it. There were hardly any creases and it looked stiff, just like the man underneath the uniform.

Malcolm gave a slight bow, not really one that was fitting for someone of the princess' station. "Your Highness."

"Commander Reed," Hoshi acknowledged coolly.

Jon watched the exchange with a bemused expression. Oh yes! She liked him. She had her shoulders back and her chin up, what Jon affectionately called her regal pose. She was already testing her new security officer. He held his breath and waited to see if Malcolm would pass.

"After I shower, I'm planning on going riding. Do you ride?" she questioned, already knowing the answer.

Malcolm pulled his PADD out of his pocket and activated it quickly. "Your schedule doesn't allow time for a ride, Your Highness. Need I remind you, you're due in parliament by 0900 hours for opening ceremonies."

Hoshi gathered her skirts and huffed, "We'll see." Without further comment, she walked out of the room.

Jon chuckled under his breath as he watched Malcolm follow Hoshi out of the room. The new security officer had definitely passed that test.

--

TBC  



	2. Burning Bridges

  
Chapter Two – Burning Bridges 

She stepped up to the podium and the room went silent. Grabbing the rope, Hoshi rang the bell. "Parliament is now in session," she announced.

A round of applause quickly followed as the politicians started their day. Hoshi stepped down without acknowledging the applause and walked past her new security guard with a haughty air. "I have no idea why they can't ring their own damn bell," she groused.

Hearing her comment, Malcolm reminded her. "It's your duty," you spoiled, self-indulgent girl.

Hoshi stopped and turned. "I'm well aware of my duties. I've been doing them for twenty-six years. I don't need you reminding me what my duties are," you arrogant asshole.

Malcolm smirked, waiting for her to finish her tirade.

"Furthermore, I don't need you reminding me about my schedule. You're my security officer, not my assistant. Your job is to make sure I'm safe."

"In order to insure your safety, it is imperative we follow the schedule," Malcolm countered, holding the car door open for her.

Hoshi sat down and waited for him to climb in after her. Once he was seated across from her she started. "Well then. Why don't we just give every would-be assassin or kidnapper a copy of my schedule? That way your job would be more adventurous."

The car started to move and Malcolm scanned the roads ahead of them. "I'm not here to have an adventure. I'm here to save your arse in the event that it needs to be saved."

She gaped at him, words eluding her. She'd never heard such a disrespectful tone in all her life.

"Furthermore, you might want to stop acting like a petulant child. I'm not Captain Archer and I shall not treat you as he did. I shall not indulge your whims of fancy, much less be an accomplice to them." His tone was even and purposeful, as though daring her to talk back.

"I'll have you sacked for the disrespectful and informal tone you have used," Hoshi spat. "I –"

"You can't do that," Malcolm retorted with a smirk.

"Oh, yes I can," Hoshi growled, somehow resisting the urge to slap him.

Malcolm leaned forward menacingly, his azure eyes staring into her cinnamon ones. "No…you can't."

"Watch me," she murmured slowly.

"That would require a constitutional amendment which would take approximately five years to pass. Considering you have no power to introduce a new bill, you would have to find a sponsor. By then I might actual begin to grow on you."

Hoshi scoffed, "Like an unwanted fungus."

"Just relax, Your Highness," Malcolm stated. "I'm firmly entrenched in my new position. Only death can remove me."

--

The bright green light flashed before him, reminding him what time it was – 0300 hours. He really couldn't blame her for his restless night. He had never really been one for sleeping through the night. Unfortunately, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Sitting up in bed, he grabbed his robe and made his way toward her suite. He nodded to the guards as he strode through the corridors. "Follow me," he instructed the guard outside her main suite. It would not do for her new security officer to visit the royal pain in the arse's bedchamber in the middle of the night without a chaperone.

Giving the door a sharp rap, Malcolm waited for her to answer. When there was no reply, he said to the guard, "Give me your phase pistol."

The guard handed it to him quickly and they entered her room cautiously.

"Lights, twenty percent," Malcolm called out, his eyes immediately going to the bed. "Bloody hell!" She had given him and the palace guards the slip. She was testing him.

"Go back to your post," Malcolm instructed. "I'll deal with this."

"Lights, one hundred percent," he barked, looking around her room and investigating potential hidden exits.

Her bed was untouched. She hadn't even tried to hide her escape, serving to taunt his oversight. When he did catch up to her, she would never forget it.

"Gave you the slip, didn't she?" Jon asked from the doorway.

Malcolm snapped to attention, embarrassment flooding to his cheeks. "Sir."

Unable to keep the humor out of his voice, Jon continued, "Don't worry. She didn't leave the grounds." Walking to a panel next to her bed, he tapped on the side and it slid open.

"A secret tunnel," Malcolm stated incredulously.

"The palace is full of them," Jon said. "I'll give you the entire palace blueprint tomorrow." He pulled a PADD out of his robe pocket and tapped the screen. "Just as I thought. She's visiting Sheppard and her foal."

Handing the PADD to Malcolm, he nodded toward the passage. "There's a maze of tunnels underneath the palace. Take the west passage. It lets out near the stables. This is a locator PADD. She doesn't know she's tagged, but it became necessary when she became rebellious."

Malcolm nodded and made to leave, but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We need to talk," Jon announced.

"Right now?" Malcolm asked nervously.

Jon nodded, wondering how he was going to talk to Malcolm without making the man feel like he was interfering. "You've been appointed to a difficult position."

Tell me about, Malcolm wanted to say.

"Your main duty is to protect her, no matter the cost."

Malcolm stiffened. "Yes, sir."

"You have no personal life now, but she does. She lives hers under a microscope. It's similar to being a prisoner."

Malcolm nodded, not really certain what the man was hinting at. He looked at the passage, wanting to go get her.

"Just take it easy on her, okay?" Jon asked softly, realizing the commander wasn't hearing a word he said. His focus was too sharp to allow room for error. Her slipping away was a wound to his pride. It was going to take some work, but he knew Malcolm Reed was the right man for the job.

Malcolm nodded again and started his journey through the passage. There was no way he was going to go easy on her. There was no way he would cater to her like Captain Archer had.

Stumbling through the west passage, Malcolm climbed the ladder and pushed open the hatch to the stables. The lights were low and the sounds and smells of horses filled the air.

He looked around. There was no sign of her and the sinking feeling in his stomach grew. Suddenly a horse whinnied and stomped the ground. A name placard was about its stall door – Sheppard.

Peering over the railing, Malcolm smiled.

Hoshi was fast asleep, laying in the hay and leaning against the stable wall. Sheppard's foal was tucked asleep next to her.

Malcolm moved to open the gate, but the horse blocked his path and nipped at his hand in warning.

"Relax girl," Malcolm said soothingly and tried again.

This time the horse bit him with more force and kicked at the gate, baring its teeth.

Nursing his hand, Malcolm cursed and glared at the horse, "Bloody hell!" He frowned and backed away. "You're just lucky I don't have a phase pistol, you bloody animal."

She was safe. That's what mattered. The sinking feeling lifted and he settled next to the stall for the night.

--

TBC


	3. Never Trust a Politician

A/N -- Thanks to Kate, SuperNerrd, and TLI for the feedback. It's greatly appreciated.

Chapter Three : Never Trust a Politician 

Hoshi stood, stretching the kinks of the night out of her neck and shoulders. I wonder how long the stiff Brit has been looking for me, she wondered with a smile. I certainly hope he's sufficiently freaked out.

Sheppard whinnied nervously and nipped at her hair.

"What is it, girl?" Hoshi asked, looking over the rail at the horse's insistence.

"Well, I'll be damned," she cursed, seeing her keeper asleep next to the stall. The bastard had found her after all.

She stared at him, taking the opportunity to observe him. His robe had gaped open in the front and her eyes lingered on the fine black hairs that speckled his chest – not too muscular and not too lean, but just right. He shifted in his sleep and her eyes snapped to his. It would not do to have him catch her lusting after him. Thankfully his eyes were still closed.

Feeling the stirrings of something unfamiliar in her stomach, Hoshi swallowed. Her gaze lingered on his eyes, almost afraid to leave them. Blue. She remembered they were blue, and his eyelashes were long, longer than hers were. It really should be a crime for a man to have eyes that… Beautiful, really didn't describe them. His eyes were unique.

Taking a step closer, Hoshi knelt in front of him, her eyes once again lingering on the even rise and fall of his chest as he continued to slumber.

This was ludicrous. She should be back at the palace, getting ready for appointments, not squatting here and lusting after her bodyguard.

Her gaze traveled the length of his body. Bare feet. Silk pajama bottoms, of course. The bottoms covered him modestly, but left just enough room for her imagination to go wild. Her attention lingered on his silk-covered endowments even as, unbeknownst to her, he had awakened and was watching her.

Her hair fell like a dark velvet curtain, partially hiding the look on her face. Somehow Malcolm resisted the urge to run his fingers through the black tangles and contented himself with watching her look at him.

He should feel exposed, even disconcerted, letting her study him. But he didn't.

The look on her face stirred something inside him. She bit her lip, the expression on her face that of intense concentration and… longing. She wanted him! There was no mistaking it.

Malcolm smirked. "See anything you like?" he asked, watching the instantaneous blush flood her cheeks.

Startled, Hoshi lost her balance and fell forward onto his lap, sputtering indignantly. "Why you –"

"Relax, Princess," Malcolm chuckled. "Your virtue is safe with me."

He used her title with a sneering lilt to it, and Hoshi tried to slap him.

Catching her wrist, he pulled her against him. "Keep it up and I might reconsider."

She pushed against his chest. God, he was warm. "As if –"

"You can feign righteous indignation all you want, but I know what you want more than you know what you want."

She could smell him, the scent going to her head. Or was that the horse? His words confused her and she scoffed, pulling away from him and trying to salvage some semblance of dignity. Standing up, she tugged on her robe. "Oh really! I want you to leave and never come back," she said with a wistful sigh.

"Nice try," Malcolm retorted, standing up and glaring at her. "I'm sure I needn't remind you that if you pull another stunt like last night, I will be forced to take drastic measures to insure your safety, starting with your secret passage."

--

She smirked at him as she sat across from him in the limousine. She had won…kind of. At least her mother had barred her jailer from blocking the passage with cement. Unfortunately there was now a security system installed right outside her passage door. The bastard would know instantly when she tried to make a break for it, which was exactly what she planned to do as soon as she could.

He yawned and her smile grew. Tonight was her free night – a rare occurrence indeed. Free nights happened about once every blue moon. The scheduling megalomaniacs couldn't fill every moment of her life. Instead of staying in and catching up on some much-needed rest, she opted to attend a spur of the moment dinner at Travis' estate.

Travis Mayweather, the son of the Deputy Prime Minister, was a notorious playboy and all-around cad, but Hoshi couldn't help but like him. She'd lost count of how many times he'd tried to seduce her. It was a cat-and-mouse game they both enjoyed. He got to perpetuate his image as a bad boy and she always felt like a woman around him – not a regal royal.

They had literally grown up together, having gone to the same prep school and all.

Her personal guard smothered another yawn.

"You look awful," Hoshi stated smugly. "Did you have a rough night?"

Malcolm merely stared at her, neither commenting nor reacting. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"Perhaps you should have stayed in and gotten some rest," Hoshi said with a saccharin sweet tone. "Jon would have been more than happy to have filled in for you, but then you would have had to ask him, wouldn't you? I bet that must have hurt last night, asking him for help."

Malcolm grinned then.

Hoshi frowned, finding his sudden amusement unsettling. "What?"

She had no idea she was tagged. Did he dare destroy her illusion and rub it in her face? "Did it ever occur to you how Captain Archer always found you so easily?"

Hoshi contemplated his question but became distracted once the car pulled up to the mansion and the door opened. As she moved to get out of the car, she felt Malcolm tug on her wrist.

"Just remember, Princess, I can stun you if need be," he warned. "So try not to make a scene."

"Evenin', Your Highness," the man holding the door greeted her.

Hoshi jerked her arm away from Malcolm and got out of the car. "Good evening, Captain Tucker," she replied.

The captain of the Mayweathers' security force stepped back and smiled at her. "Fine weather tonight," he commented.

"Yes, it is," Hoshi agreed as she walked past him, gratefully forgetting her shadow.

Walking up to the postern, she sighed. Once past that gate, she could leave her new security guard behind. Too bad it wasn't freezing outside. It would serve Malcolm right if he caught a cold.

"Hoshi!" a rich baritone called out.

Hoshi walked through the grand hall and greeted her host for the evening. "Travis," she said with a faint smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly and grabbed her hands, seeing her expression and knowing her too well.

Doing her best imitation of a carefree smile, Hoshi squeezed his hands. She hadn't realized what a foul mood she was in thanks to "that man." "Nothing's wrong," she stated wistfully. "I'm just happy to be free from my new…jailer."

A dumbfounded expression crossed Travis' face. "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you hear?" Hoshi asked, astonished. "We're 'transitioning' between security guards. Jon's going to stay on in an advisory capacity, and I get to make friends with Mr. Stiffy."

Travis snorted and doubled over with laughter.

"And just what did I say that was so funny?"

"Mr. Stiffy sounds…" Travis gasped, "sounds like…a body part."

Blushing, Hoshi punched Travis on the shoulder. "You've always got your mind in the gutter."

"And your attitude regarding the opposite sex is positively Victorian," he replied, sobering. "You really ought to reconsider letting me help you with your problem." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, grabbed her by the arm, and started walking toward the dining hall.

"My virginity is not a problem," Hoshi retorted softly.

They entered the private dining area and Hoshi looked at the long table. There were only two settings. "I thought there would be more people here."

Travis pulled away from her. "I know you, Hoshi. About now, you can always use a break. If I had ten or twenty people over, you would go into princess mode and that wouldn't be very relaxing for you."

Kissing his cheek, Hoshi took her seat. "Thanks, Travis. You're a godsend."

He smirked and sat in the chair next to her. "So tell me about Mr. Stiffy."

TBC – of course!


	4. The Great Escape

Chapter Four – The Great Escape

Two weeks! He had survived two weeks of her royal snobbery and general distaste of him. The security system in her secret passage was installed without a hitch and Malcolm couldn't help but gloat. To him it was like Christmas morning, watching her pout as he tested the new system. He always appreciated technologies that made his job run smoother.

She barely spoke to him now, which was fine by him. Hopefully, her Royal Pain had finally realized it was pointless to goad him. He wasn't going anywhere.

Even when he wasn't escorting her to official functions, Malcolm was working. He'd pored through the entertainment rags and learned a great deal about publishing companies and how to sell magazines. Most of what was printed about his charge was total tripe. Of course he had learned some interesting information, like the capture of something referred to as a Bat-Boy and that the image of the Virgin Mother had been seen in a bus window in South Philadelphia. The most intriguing was a story which had him and Her Royal Spoiled Bitch romantically involved!

Malcolm hadn't found that story in the least bit amusing and Hoshi had had a fit, going so far as to contact the rag for a retraction.

A soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts and Malcolm set down the PADD with tomorrow's schedule. "Enter," he called.

"Sorry to interrupt, Malcolm," Jon stated. "But I wanted to suggest a change in the itinerary for tomorrow's trip to Vulcan."

"Why?" Malcolm questioned softly.

"Hoshi normally flies out of San Francisco. It's too predictable and something just doesn't feel right to me. Perhaps you and she should fly out of Los Angeles tomorrow."

Relaxing his shoulders, Malcolm nodded. "Of course, sir," he agreed softly. "I'll just make the necessary arrangements to the detail. I've arranged for –"

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Malcolm," Jon said. "I know how difficult it can be to escort Hoshi off planet."

"It's no problem, sir. My team will adapt."

Jon patted Malcolm on the back. "That's why I recommended you for the appointment."

"Thank you, sir," Malcolm replied.

Nodding, Jon backed out of Malcolm's office.

--

Looking out the car window, Hoshi ignored Malcolm. He was insufferable and domineering, but she couldn't fault him for doing his job.

Just two nights ago, she attended a benefit concert and the crowd got out of control. She disliked crowds, the unknown variables of masses of people had always unsettled her. With a minimum of fuss, Malcolm had her in the car and on the way. She hadn't realized just how closed in the crowds made her feel. It made her sick to her stomach and gave her a roaring headache.

His ability was proven to her that night and she had grudgingly learned to appreciate his position in her life. It really was too bad that she was going to do what she was going to do. He still needed to be taught a lesson. And she was just the person to do that.

Observing her mannerisms, Malcolm frowned. She was too quiet, almost too serene. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't want to tip her off that he knew something was wrong.

Familiar landmarks passed and the car took a turn too sharply.

Catching herself, Hoshi worried. "I thought we were departing from San Francisco."

"We had a slight change in plans," he replied.

She looked down, a momentary sense of panic settling in the pit of her stomach. Would they be able to lock onto her? Would the plan still work?

"What's wrong, Princess? You look pale," Malcolm said.

"I'm fine," she muttered through clenched teeth. "I just prefer to be updated on any changes is all. Are we still going to Vulcan for the summit, or has my destination changed as well?"

Malcolm shifted in his seat and didn't bother answering her.

"Well?" she asked sharply.

"Yes, you're still attending the summit."

"Oh joy," she muttered under her breath, the hectic schedule of the last two days grating on her nerves.

Malcolm scoffed. "You're a piece of work. You lead a life of privilege, yet you find something to complain about. Most people envy you. You have every material possession imaginable –"

"What's the use of having material possessions and a life of privilege if one hasn't the time to enjoy them?" she asked softly, cutting him off.

He had no answer for her. She looked sad and vulnerable. Shake it off Malcolm, he thought to himself. She's just a spoiled little girl.

"What?" she questioned. "No answer, Mister Bodyguard?"

"Listen. We've got liftoff and sixteen light years to travel. I'll be quiet if you do," he stated stiffly.

"Deal," Hoshi replied.

--

They walked freely though the terminal on their way to the private shuttle. Only a handful of security detail remained, peppering the various entrances and exits of the terminal. Once they were aboard the shuttle and airborne, they would be joined by a fighter escort.

"Could we stop for a second?" Hoshi asked quickly.

"For what?" Malcolm inquired.

Hoshi nodded toward the restroom and looked chagrined.

Rolling his eyes, Malcolm nodded, going into the restroom before her to secure it. "Hurry up."

"Miss you already," Hoshi grumbled as she brushed past him and entered the room.

He eyed her suspiciously, wondering about her comment.

In the mirror she watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind him. Now if only this thing works, she thought hopefully and twisted the ring on her finger.

It was a long shot now that he had changed the departure point. She wasn't crazy about beaming anywhere. But as long as it caused Malcolm grief, it was worth it. This would delay the summit greatly. But, again…it was worth it. She would disappear for a while and take a much-needed vacation, all with the help of her nearest and dearest friend, Travis.

Travis was waiting for her signal in San Francisco. She activated the ring he had given her and held her breath. Seconds ticked by as though they were minutes.

"Hoshi, are you okay?" an annoying British voice asked at her door.

Just as she was about to tell him to sod off, Hoshi felt the familiar tingle of a transporter lock and smiled.

Something was off. Something wasn't right. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he rushed to the stall she occupied. In horror, he watched as her feet shimmered. He busted the door open and watched her disappear. Reflexively, he grabbed for her, but it was too late.

Squashing a momentary flash of panic, Malcolm reached for his communicator and froze. This was too easy…almost planned. He was missing something. His training dictated he act now and alert the others, but his instincts cautioned him.

The change in itinerary had never sat well with him, and he started to suspect that Archer was involved. The grid that prevented beam-outs was notoriously weak at this spaceport, much weaker than San Francisco's grid. He tucked his communicator back into his pocket and grabbed his PADD, punching in her tracking code. The feeling of dread grew bigger as he saw her signal near San Francisco. It was growing fainter.

--

Rematerializing on the transporter PADD, Hoshi breathed a sigh of relief and giggled. "Travis!" she called out, then frowned.

There was no answer. It was dark, too -- only the lights on the transporter alcove gave off any illumination. "Travis?"

Her stomach lurched as she felt the deck-plating move beneath her. She was on a ship. Why? Her elation quickly turned to dread.

A door opened and Hoshi shielded her eyes as the light from the hall spilled into the room. As she peeked through her fingers, she saw a tall familiar figure of a man. "Travis?"

"Welcome aboard, Your Highness," the familiar Southern twang of Travis' security captain greeted her with a slight sneer.

Smiling, Hoshi hopped off the pad. "I was starting to worry, Captain Tucker."

"Keep worrying," he drawled.

"What are you –" Hoshi's question died on her lips as a flash of light split through the darkness and she fell to the ground.

"Consider yourself kidnapped, royal brat," Tucker stated viciously.

--

TBC


	5. Time Flies

Chapter Five – Time Flies

She had lost track of all time, her jail devoid of luxuries like a clock. She had been stripped of clothing and jewelry and dressed in some sort of jumpsuit.

The room was dimly lit, showing that there was a table next to the cot she sat on. Her head was throbbing and Hoshi rubbed the goose egg that had formed on her forehead. She must have hit her head when she fell. This was a nightmare. She really did need to wake up.

Along with her headache, she felt the urge to relieve herself. Yet she saw no place to take care of that most basic function.

Standing, Hoshi swayed on her feet and stumbled along the wall. Banging on what she hoped was a door, she yelled, "Hey, out there! I've got to go to the bathroom!"

There was no answer.

"I've got to go!" she shouted again and banged harder, the urge to relieve herself growing stronger.

She pounded the bulkhead and screamed louder. The hatch slid open part way, allowing a sliver of bright light into her cell. A clatter of metal on the deck rang through the tiny room and Hoshi groped around on the floor for what had been thrown in. She felt cold smooth metal, picked it up and held it up to the light. "A bedpan! You expect me to use a bedpan!"

Her only answer was a soft, mocking laughter.

Swallowing her pride, she set the pan on the floor and used it, tears stinging her eyes.

She knew who her captor was – Captain Tucker. Why was the question that kept repeating in her head. Surely Travis had nothing to do with this. He was probably worried sick about her as was Jon and her mother.

Thinking of her mother, the tears started to flow unchecked down her cheeks. Her mother, the proverbial angel with wings always sitting on her shoulder and guiding her to do the right things. What would her mother do without her? Were they going to kill her? Why hadn't he killed her already?

Hoshi curled into a ball on the cot and sobbed, finally realizing how much danger she was in.

--

The hatch opened and Trip walked into the cell. With his phase pistol he incinerated the bedpan and its contents.

Hoshi shot up in bed, startled and disoriented.

"Rise and shine, darlin'" Tucker said, kicking the cot with his boot. "I need to get some footage of ya unharmed so I can send it along with the ransom demand."

Hoshi scurried away from the voice as a light was shone in her voice.

"Except for the nasty bump on her head, she's fine," Trip narrated while filming Hoshi.

The light clicked off and Hoshi could see that her captor had lowered the camera. "Why are you doing this?" she asked softly.

Trip scoffed and set the camera on the table. "For the money of course."

"Are you going to kill me?"

Sitting on the cot next to her, Trip put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "Now why would I do a thing like that? You're much more valuable alive. I can make off with the ransom and turn around and sell you to the Orions."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Hoshi sniffed. "It doesn't sound like a very sound plan."

"For your pretty little head, the Orions will offer me amnesty," Trip murmured and inhaled deeply.

Hoshi shuddered as his words replayed in her "pretty little head."

"You sure do smell pretty…Hoshi," he whispered against her hair, running one hand along her shoulder and the other along her thigh. "Maybe I'll just keep ya for myself."

She felt him press his lips against her hair but didn't react. Her thoughts were on what he had told her about selling her into slavery. Even as he pushed her down on the cot, her thoughts blocked out his intentions. Simply put, she was stunned with fear.

Tucker took her lack of movement as compliance. "That's a good girl," he growled, kissing a wet trail along her jaw and moving over her.

Her breath caught when she finally realized Tucker's carnal intent and she instantly felt as though she was drowning. She knew she had to act before things went any further. Hoshi shifted her leg between his and thrust her hips up, trying to get away.

Trip groaned and ground his manhood against her thigh. "Oh yes, darling. That's right. Travis was right. You probably will be a real firecracker in the sack."

"T-Travis?" Hoshi stammered, gasping for air as Tucker's weight settled on her.

"We'll meet up with him later," Trip mumbled, moving her jumpsuit to one side and licking a path to the hollow of her throat.

His words sunk in slowly, wounding her. Her greatest champion…her greatest friend had betrayed her. He had set her up! Fury inflamed her and she brought her knee up as quickly and as hard as she could.

Trip screamed in pain and rolled off her and onto the floor.

She jumped up, not even sure where she was going, a raging instinct to lash out consuming her. Her captor was doubled over, cursing, and she kicked him again. But he blocked her attempt and twisted her foot.

The pain shot up her leg and she cried out, falling to the floor.

"You stupid bitch! I'll kill –" His words stopped as a phase blast hit him in the chest and he collapsed to the deck plating with a thud.

She crawled into the corner of the room as fast as she could, bracing herself for the end. She gasped as a pair of hands clamped around her shoulders and lifted her to her feet.

"Are you okay, Hoshi?" a raspy voice asked.

Finally opening her eyes, she saw Malcolm's concerned stare and felt his hands roam her body.

"Are you okay?" he repeated sternly, shaking her.

The shock and pain turned to anger and she slapped Malcolm. "You bastard! How could you? I trusted you! I –"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked through gritted teeth, holding her wrists.

"You're in on this!" she shouted, and struggled against him. "How much are you getting? What's your cut?"

He'd had enough and he hadn't the time to deal with her hysterics. There were scout ships in pursuit. Slamming her against the bulkhead, he pinned her body with his. "I don't know what you're talking about," he growled. "I'm trying to save your ass. If you want, I'll turn around and walk out of here and leave you to get more comfortable with Tucker!"

As if the mention of his name was important to him, Trip moaned.

"We've got to go," Malcolm pleaded softly. "He sent a hail to his buddies and they are on their way. We can't outrun them in this thing and the ship I borrowed isn't much better."

"Where are we going? How are we –"

"Be quiet!" Malcolm commanded and pulled her behind him. "Follow me."

Hoshi did as she was told and hobbled as quickly as she could after him. They made it to the transporter alcove and beamed aboard a private shuttle. Stepping out of the alcove, Hoshi collapsed into the nearest chair.

"Strap yourself in. I'm going to try to lose them in the nebula," he shouted as he made his way to the pilot's console.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked quickly as alarms blared overhead.

"They're here!" he shouted in response. "Hold on."

--

TBC


	6. Out of the Frying Pan

Chapter Six: Out of the Frying Pan...

Clutching the edge of her seat, Hoshi watched as Malcolm piloted the shuttle. A light blue haze much like that of a clear sky loomed in the cockpit windows.

"The nebula is populated with several Minshara-Class planets. With any luck, we can hide on one of them and wait out our pursuers," Malcolm said.

The ship lurched and Malcolm adjusted course. Alarms sounded and Hoshi did something she hadn't done since her father died – she prayed.

"Warning! Aft stabilizer is offline," an automated voice called out.

Malcolm grimaced as he held piloted the shuttle. "Just a few more seconds," he mumbled, hoping his plan worked.

The shuttle rocked again.

"Warning! Plasma leak in main assembly."

"I know. I know," Malcolm answered, using the manual piloting control to maneuver into the blue haze of the nebula. Once in, he steered the shuttle into a deep nosedive to shake off anybody who had seen where they had entered the cloud.

Sensors were useless here. He was as blind as any potential pursuers were. Like a madman, he weaved the craft through the electromagnetic currents of the luminous vapor, ignoring the computer's warnings.

Hoshi screamed and that finally broke his concentration. He turned to see her limping toward a fire extinguisher. Seeing a black puff of smoke seeping into the compartment, he yelled for her to sit back down.

"Are you crazy?" she shouted. "We're going to die from smoke inhalation."

With a quick flick of his wrist and the pressing of a few buttons, he sealed off the panel that was spewing the smoke. "The fire is contained. Sit back down!"

The smoke that had seeped into the cabin swirled in the air and she felt her eyes sting. But she did as she was told.

"Warning! Warp core breach imminent."

"Bloody hell!" Malcolm muttered as he adjusted the controls.

The shuttle lurched violently and Hoshi was startled. "What was that?" she asked, afraid they had been found.

"That was me ejecting the warp core," Malcolm stated, not taking his eyes off the console.

"You ejected the warp core?" Hoshi shrieked. "Are you crazy?"

Making no attempt to answer her, Malcolm set a course for the nearest habitable planet. Hopefully they would make it there in one piece.

--

Either she had the worst hangover ever or a cargo freighter at warp five had hit her. Warp! Warp core! Ejected! Her thoughts ran rampant. "Reed!" she shouted as she tried to stand up.

There was no sound -- not even the subtle drone of the shuttle impulse engines.

"Reed!" she bellowed louder, finally managing to right herself. The gravity plating must be offline. It felt as though she were walking on the ceiling of the shuttle. Taking a shuddering breath, Hoshi prepared to scream for Malcolm again. She refused to believe the stodgy old bastard was hurt or possibly dead. "Re—"

"If you yell again," his muffled voice called from outside the shuttle, "I'll tape your mouth shut," providing I can find any.

Hoshi limped toward his voice, relief flooding her. Crawling over some debris, she made her way to the hatch and crawled through it. The shuttle was actually half way on its side which made the squeeze through the hatch a little uncomfortable. "Where are we? When will the security detail arrive? What happened? How did you find me so quickly? What have –"

With each question she asked, Malcolm stepped closer to her. His patience worn thin, he finally clasped his hand over her mouth. "I managed to run some scans of the nebula. We're in the nebula. I've turned the locator beacon off. Chances are the bad guys would find us long before the good guys would," especially since the good guys haven't a clue as to where to begin to look for us. But he wasn't about to tell her that.

"As far as what happened…" he said, and removed his hand. "I was hoping you could tell me what happened?"

Nervously biting her lip, Hoshi looked at the ground and then the ship. The last forty-eight hours of her life had been a nightmare and she was still trying to sort things out.

It had seemed like a harmless prank. She just wanted to get away from him. She and Travis had joked about how easy it would be. Feeling the sting of tears threaten, Hoshi swiped her sleeve over her eyes. A torrent of emotions passed through her – embarrassment, anger, relief.

It was too much for her. Her normally docile yet boring world had been turned inside out and it was overwhelming.

"What happened?" he reapeated. "How did your personal security field fail?" He was asking himself more than he was asking her. He already knew the answer. Her former captain what at the top of his list of suspects. Archer had the opportunity. Everybody has the motive. Undoubtedly, he had sabotaged her secure beam-out block.

"I don't know," she replied softly.

He squinted, sensing that she was hiding something. She didn't trust him, but then he hadn't given her much reason to. "Look, Hoshi. I need to know everything that seemed out of place. Did Captain Archer say or do anything strange lately? Did he give you any presents…any jewelry? Did he –?"

"Why are you asking so much about Jon?"

Malcolm stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. Her hair and eyes were wild. Her forehead was bruised, although the bump had receded. The jumpsuit hung on her body like it was an old and wrinkly skin. She had all of her weight on her good foot due to her sprained ankle. She would be fine physically. He had already ascertained that. Nothing was broken.

She looked as though she would fall to pieces. Would she understand his suspicions? Would it break her to know that the man who raised her and protected her most of her life had betrayed her?

"You suspect Jon!"

His worrying stopped abruptly. After all, he wasn't Jon and he had told her from the beginning that he wasn't going to coddle her like Jon had. "Did he ask you to do anything out of the ordinary lately?"

The thought of Jon possibly being in on her abduction made her nauseous and she limped toward the shuttle and leaned against it. Putting her hands over her face, she cried. "W—why do you think Jon had anything to do with this?"

Malcolm sighed, running his hand across his face in frustration. He'd barely heard the muffled question and now she was crying. Could things get much worse? He had little patience or time for a hysterical woman.

"The night before we were scheduled to leave, the captain recommended a last-minute change in our travel plans. He suggested we fly out of LA instead of San Fran. The transporter net at LA is notoriously weak. Anybody can transport in and out of that facility. Your own transponder is tied into the global network. It's what keeps you from being beamed away –"

"I know all about my transponder," Hoshi interrupted. "Jon gave me lesson after lesson on it. Told me never to take the ring off."

Annoyed that she had interrupted him, Malcolm started to pace. "Add that to Archer's relationship with Tucker…" He let the assumption hang in the air like a foul odor, waiting for her to make the connection and hoping she had the strength to work through this all.

She sniffled and wiped the tears away. "Jon has nothing to do with this," she stated softly. "You're making assumptions that have no grounds."

"Oh really?" Malcolm scoffed. "And who do you think is responsible for your abduction?"

"Travis Mayweather," she whispered.

Malcolm blinked. "What does your dope of a lover have to do with this?" he questioned, waving his hand from her to the lopsided shuttle.

Hoshi licked her lips, her throat suddenly dry. "Well…"

Malcolm's gaze narrowed and he sighed. "Please do tell me who you think masterminded this."

"Travis came up with the plan," Hoshi said. "I was supposed to go off by myself…to the restroom. He said I needed to dematerialize in private to buy us some time. I didn't think it would work once we changed our departure site. He gave me a ring and said it would feed off my regular transponder and boost my signal for transport through any anti-transporter nets. When I materialized Captain Tucker was waiting for me. It wasn't until I woke up that I realized what had happened."

Looking at him and waiting for him to react, Hoshi took a step back. He was like a statue. It didn't even look as though he was breathing, and her hand itched as she resisted the urge to reach out and poke him.

"I-I j-just wanted to get away," she stammered, suddenly scared more of his reaction than of any would-be abductors in the nebula.

He stared past her, just over her shoulder, not even listening to her anymore. He had heard enough. They were stranded only God knows where because of her.

Pissed! He was beyond pissed! He wanted to kill her. He wanted to throttle her. He just wanted to get away from her.

Backing away from her before he hit her, he growled. "I quit."

--

TBC  



	7. And Into the Fire

Chapter Seven: …And Into the Fire

--

Hoshi's confession had shaken him. His very being--his reason for existing--was now null and void. His career lay in ashes around her feet. He had spent his entire adulthood cultivating and working up to his position, forfeiting so much that he had forgotten what exactly it was that he had sacrificed.

He was the bodyguard. He had been his entire life…always protecting those who needed it and willing to die in the process. Even as a child he was the protector, saving his younger sister Madeline from imagined monsters and their father.

Malcolm had never run into this before. He had always done his job, and done it well--very well. Keeping his employers out of harm's way had been accomplished with a one hundred percent success rate, even at the expense of his own safety. Of course, his previous clients had been cooperative. They listened to and respected his advice, and heeded his instincts. In essence, they accepted responsibility for their own safety.

Staring at the woman in front of him, he bristled with anger. He hadn't seen this coming. He would lay down his life for her, not out of a displaced sense of patriotism, but because it was his job. He was trained to be proactive, to be several steps ahead of the daily threats. His previous clients worked with him and none of them had come to harm, which led him to the person who stood before him.

How did he protect her from herself?

He held his breath, daring not to move. He wanted to throttle her. He wanted to strangle her. He wanted to knock her on her ass and walk away. "I quit," he heard himself say.

It was like a mantra playing in his head. "I quit. I quit. I quit," repeated in his mind as he walked past her, unsure as to where he was going but knowing he needed to get away from her.

"You—you can't quit!" Hoshi declared. "You've got to get me out of here."

Malcolm stopped dead in his tracks, turning slowly. "What's the matter, Your Highness?" he sneered. "I thought you would be ecstatic. You've gotten your wish. Your machinations and scheming have made me realize how pointless my job is. I quit."

"But you can't," sputtered Hoshi. "Not now! You've got to get me out of here. You've got to take me home. My mother will be worried. She'll –"

"And where did your mother fit into your plan when you and your lover were concocting your great escape?" he asked, acid in his inflection. "Was she in on it too?"

"I would never involve my mother in such a manner. I –"

"You didn't consider how your stunt would affect her," Malcolm argued.

Hoshi's eyes watered and she said nothing. He was right. She hadn't thought about her mother at all. She had just assumed she would call the queen after a few days and have a good laugh about it all. What had she been thinking? A few days? She would have put her mother through agony for a few days to have a laugh at this man's expense?

Now it was so much worse.

Starting to pace, Malcolm swore under his breath and stopped in front of her. "I've got news for you, Princess. You're on your own. Good luck with the rescue. There's nobody on their way. In all likelihood, they've accused me of the kidnapping. I don't –"

"What do you mean?"

Malcolm grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "I have no backup! I could turn the locator beacon on and you could take your chances with Tucker and his friends. I could –"

"There's no one coming for us?" she asked disbelievingly, the cold wind chilling her.

"That's right, Your Royal Self-Centeredness!" he shouted. "You're on your own!"

She watched in horror as he walked away.

--

She tucked her hands into her armpits, trying to keep the numbness at bay. With each breath she expelled into her frigid surroundings, a plume of vapor swirled from her mouth. With the exception to the emergency lighting, there was no power of the shuttle, and she hadn't the first clue as to how to restore it. Since he'd left her, she had found some clothing in the hold, which included some socks and shoes. At least she was able to cover her feet now.

Leave it up to that bastard to crash-land on a cold planet! I hope he's freezing his ass off out there! Better yet, I hope he's –"

Thump!

Hoshi bolted upright, grabbing an upended seat cushion and holding it up like a shield. Something or somebody was outside, she thought. It could be a wild animal. It could be Tucker. Or worse, it could be her former security guard!

She stumbled toward the hatch, preparing to hit whoever or whatever was crawling through the hatch. Her foot caught and she fell flat on her face, her fall softened by the cushion.

Malcolm crawled through the hatch with ease, surprised when his hands connected with soft flesh. "Bloody Hell! What have you done now?" he grumbled as he righted himself and walked to the console.

The shuttle came to life, the low hum of electricity sounding throughout the cabin. "Why didn't you turn the heat on?"

Hoshi crawled onto her makeshift bed and groused.

"Guess what, Princess? There's nobody here to wait on you and draw you a warm bath, so you're going to have to get off your pretty little ass and do for yourself," Malcolm said as he walked up to her. "Scoot over."

"What?" Hoshi pulled the bundle of clothes she had formed into a nest closer to her.

"Relax, Your Majesty," Malcolm said with a sneer. "I'm exhausted and it's freezing. I don't see why you didn't turn the heat on."

Hoshi gasped as he laid next to her and pulled her down.

She tried to pull away from him but his arm was like a steel band around her waist. "Let me go."

"Stay still, Hoshi. I'm exhausted," Malcolm growled. "I've spent all night securing the perimeter and it's below freezing out there."

Relaxing against him, she damned the tears that stung her eyes and sniffed. "I thought you were gone."

Drifting off to sleep, Malcolm barely heard her.

She shifted closer, wiggling against him.

"Stop moving," he hissed, damning his exhaustion and his libido.

"I'm glad you're back," Hoshi whispered softly, and tucked the clothes around his arm.

"Tomorrow, you can start working on getting me out of here."

Malcolm smirked. Tomorrow…she was going to get a taste of her own medicine.

--

She scowled in her sleep, swatting the cold and wet thing away from her. It seemed to go away and she settled into her nest, intent on going back to sleep.

"Get up," a stern voice commanded.

Hoshi grumbled and turned over, opening her eyes. As if the smell of a dead fish wasn't enough to wake her, the sight of it hovering just centimeters away from her face disgusted her. "Get that thing out of my face!" she ordered and swatted it away.

"That thing is your breakfast," Malcolm stated. "If you want to eat, I suggest you get up and clean it. The scales aren't very appetizing."

She pushed it away again and stood up. "I'll have a ration pack, thank you."

"Are you hungry, Your Highness?" he asked sweetly.

Hoshi nodded her head, not really sure what to answer. She could sense the sarcasm in his tone, but his smile was genuine. "Why, yes. I am hungry," she replied. "I would like something to eat…please."

Malcolm did something totally unexpected. He clutched his sides and laughed so hard, tears fell down his face.

She smiled irritably, feeling as though she were the center of an amusing joke she didn't know about. "What's so funny, Mr. Reed?"

He sobered immediately and approached Hoshi, picking up the fish. "Clean the fish and cook it. It's the only way you're going to get anything to eat, Hoshi. I've hidden the ration packs. You won't find them. I've already made the fire, but it's dying quickly. So you might want to hurry and cook your fish."

Fuming, Hoshi stood up and grabbed the fish by the tail and prepared to throw it at him.

"I wouldn't," warned Malcolm. "That fish is a freebee. From now on you'll have to catch your own. I'm no longer responsible for you. I quit. You'll have to learn to survive, even if it kills you. There are no servants here…nobody to draw your bath or serve you. You'll have to work for your keep. It's just you and me, little girl."

"You asshole!" she shouted, finally hurling the dead fish at him.

Dodging it with ease, Malcolm watched it fall at his feet. "One more thing." His voice was smooth and dangerous. "You will address me as Commander Reed or sir. Is that understood?"

--

TBC


	8. Hunger Strike

Chapter Eight: Hunger Strike

--

Tossing in her nest of cushions and clothes, Hoshi winced when her stomach growled. Two days had passed -- two days of no food and very little water. The hunger pangs were unbearable and she couldn't sleep.

Thankfully the sun was already rising and the arrogant asshole was already gone. They weren't talking any more for she spent most of her time searching for the ration packs, much to his amusement. Actually she wasn't talking to him. He instructed her to do things, like gather wood for the fire or clean the fish or plants he had gathered. She would just glare at him and walk away.

At least the bastard let her have water.

The morning was already starting to warm up. The weather extremes on this planet were annoyingly opposite, as though the planet was mocking her. At night it was frigid, as though it was barely able to sustain life. During the day, it was warm and pleasant, almost a paradise.

The call of nature spurred her into action and she crawled through the hatch and stretched the morning kinks out of her shoulders. The facilities on the shuttle were heavily damaged and she had to resort to "squatting in the bushes."

At least he had informed her where the crude "facilities" were. It hadn't been an act of chivalry. The bastard had said he didn't want to be stepping in her waste.

With each day that passed she hated him more.

Her stomach growled again, reminding her of her next immediate need. Zipping up her jumpsuit, she limped into the clearing and was caught by surprise.

Her nemesis was sitting next to a smoldering fire, his hair wet, his chest, feet and legs bare. His blue skivvies did little to hide his endowments. And he was eating a ration pack!

She wanted to tell him to cover himself, but she didn't really care that he was half-naked in front of her. She eyed the spoon in his hand, the way his lips covered the metallic surface, scooping the food off the instrument.

His cerulean eyes locked with her sable ones and he scooped some more recycled eggs onto his spoon and, with great exaggeration, shoved them into his mouth and moaned, clearly enjoying his repast.

He was goading her and she was starving! She walked over to the makeshift table he used for cleaning his fish and grabbed the phase pistol.

"Give it to me!" she threatened, pointing the weapon at him and walking toward him.

Malcolm smirked, taking another bite of food and setting the packet on the ground. He noticed her eyes lingering on the food and made his move. He kicked his legs out, sweeping them toward her injured ankle.

She fell, landing on her backside with a surprised yelp.

Crawling over her, Malcolm straddled her waist and pinned her to the ground, easily disarming her.

"You bastard!" she spat, her eyes blazing. "I hate you!"

He pinned her arms above her head and leaned over her, his eyes lingering on the heavy rise and fall of her chest. Inhaling, he leaned even closer, the heat of his breath caressing her ear.

"The next time you pull a weapon on me you better know how to use it," Malcolm murmured. He released her arms and grabbed the phase pistol, holding it under her nose. "You see that. You had the safety on." He disengaged the safety and pointed the weapon at the fire, discharging it into the fire."

She jumped underneath him as the embers of the fire stirred. She could feel his hard heat against her stomach and tried twisting away from him. "Bastard! Let me go!"

Malcolm grabbed for her arms again, pinning them above her head. "Make me," he taunted. He laughed as she twisted and turned beneath him, trying her damnedest to unseat him. He was surprised she had lasted this long without losing it.

She spat at him and cursed him in what he assumed were various languages. But he continued to hold her down, waiting for her to exhaust herself and waiting for her to listen to him.

"I hate you!" she screamed, wrenching one of her hands out of his grasp. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled with all her might.

Malcolm shouted in pain, shifting above her. Somehow he dislodged her hand from his head, her fist still clutching some of his hair. "I hate you too!"

She thrust against him again, thrashing her head from side to side.

With effort Malcolm pinned her wrists with one hand and put his other hand over her mouth. "When are you going to stop fighting me and learn that I'm your best chance of surviving?"

He moved his hand away and waited for her reply.

"Go to hell," she sobbed. "What are you going to teach me? How to starve? What an arrogant, selfish bastard you are?"

Rolling away quickly, Malcolm stood and offered her his hand. "You have nobody but yourself to blame for our predicament."

Hoshi pushed his hand away and crawled as quickly as she could toward the discarded ration pack.

He watched as she huddled over the discarded food and he felt a pang of guilt. She threw the spoon to the side and with trembling fingers scooped the remaining eggs out of the pouch and into her mouth. There wasn't much left and she turned the packet inside out and started licking the crumbs off the sides. At least she was learning to economize. Gone was the stylish royal princess, and in her place was a desperate woman sorely in need of not only a meal but also a bath.

She glared at him when she was finished, saying nothing. Silent tears fell down her cheeks.

Kneeling in front of her, he pried the empty ration pack from her fingers. "Are you ready?"

There was no answer as she continued to glare at him.

"Are you ready to start learning how to survive?" he asked softly.

She nodded her head slowly, capitulating to the inevitable. He was right. She had nobody to blame but herself for their circumstances. There was no telling how long they would be here.

He could still see some stubbornness in her eyes and he smirked. "I didn't hear your answer."

"Yes!" she hissed, hating him with every fiber of her being.

"Yes, what?" Malcolm questioned in an attempt to establish the boundaries he needed to set for her.

"Yes, Commander Reed," she breathed through clenched teeth.

--

She followed him down the rocky path, thankful for the boots she'd found in the cargo hold a few days ago. "Where are we going?" she asked between huffs, trying to focus on his back and not his backside.

"We're going down to the river."

Rolling her eyes at his abrupt response, Hoshi stumbled. Her ankle throbbed, but she ignored it. "Why are we going to the river?"

"Your first fishing lesson," he replied succinctly. "It's a good thing the phase pistol wasn't on kill. You would have never found the packs and I doubt you've ever caught or killed anything in your life."

"It wasn't like I was going to pull the trigger," Hoshi scoffed.

Malcolm stopped suddenly, turned and looked up at her. "You pulled the trigger. You just happened to be lucky that the safety was on. The next time you pull a phase pistol on me, you better make sure it's on kill. If you ever stun me, you better make sure you start running before I wake up."

Don't tempt me, she thought maliciously.

Pushing some brush out of the way, Malcolm stepped onto the bank of the river.

The view was breathtaking. Across the shallows, a deep pool receded into a steep cliff. It looked as though the cliff was a smooth as glass, shaped that way from the trickle of water that covered it. Malcolm walked into the shallows up to his knees and held his hand up for her to stop where she was.

"Watch and learn," he stated and held his phase pistol up. "This is how you take the safety off. This is stun and this is kill." Malcolm switched the setting quickly and stood as still as he could.

"What are you going to do? Stun the fish?" Hoshi laughed as she asked the question.

Malcolm stared into the water, waiting for a fish to swim into range.

Hoshi snorted with laughter. "It hardly seems sporting."

"It's not about sport," Malcolm chastised. "It's about eating."

She rolled her eyes.

Seeing her mocking demeanor, Malcolm spoke softly. "Even if you had access to the ration packs, they would only last a month. Then what would you eat?"

You, she thought with a demure smile on her lips, but thought it better not to antagonize him. A swirling movement in the dark pool caught her eye and she gasped. "There's something moving in the pool!"

"It's the fish," he answered quickly, still searching the shallows for his prey.

"Why don't you swim into the pool instead of waiting for them to swim into the shallows?"

Malcolm grimaced, stubbing his toe on a pebble and stirring the water. Damn! It would take some time, waiting for the little buggers to come to him. He wasn't about to tell her of his fear of drowning. "Because it's easier this way," he answered sharply.

"How long do you normally have to wait for the fish to come to you instead of you going after them?"

He didn't answer.

Hoshi sighed, watching the pool turn various colors as the school of fish shimmered in the water. "Are you going to teach me how to clean the fish next?" she asked, her stomach already growling with hunger and queasiness at the mention of her next task. She wasn't really for blood and guts.

"Yes," Malcolm replied through clenched teeth, getting more irritable as the seconds turned into minutes. If he didn't know better, he would swear the fish were mocking him by not swimming into the shallows.

"So far I'm not impressed," Hoshi said under her breath. I've actually been more entertained watching my nails dry.

"It takes a little time for the fish to swim into the shallows and –"

"Oh for Pete's sake," she called out, and jumped into the water and strode past him.

Before he could grab her, she waded past him and swam into the shimmering pool, disturbing its calm surface. He was startled as the fish swam around his legs, some of them even jumping onto the shore to get away from the disturbance of their environment. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Collecting the stunned fish, he threw them onto the shore. Maybe she wasn't useless after all. Her impatience had saved him several hours of waiting for the fish to swim into the shallows.

He watched as she climbed onto the shore and started wringing her hair out. She had been so impatient that she hadn't even bothered to take her boots off. He hooked the fish on a string and slung them over his shoulder. "You might want to get out of your clothes. It'll get cold tonight and they need to dry."

Hoshi looked at his retreating back and smiled. "You're welcome!" she shouted after him. She started to unzip her jumpsuit, glancing at the bushes to make sure he'd left. She was long overdue for a bath.

--

TBC


	9. Getting to Know You

Chapter Nine: Getting to Know You…

--

It was a vile chore and she despised doing it more than she hated him. Cleaning fish was smelly and messy and her fingers were nicked and sore from performing the task. Two weeks of what had become their daily routine was starting to wear on her nerves. Two weeks of being cooped up with him at night, freezing.

Hoshi swore he did this on purpose, leaving her for hours on end to go "fishing," and bringing back his meager catch for her to clean. He taught her how to fish yet wouldn't let her, saying how he didn't trust her with the phase pistol. What a paranoid ass!

They barely spoke to one another, and she found his economy with words astounding. If she asked him a question, he would answer her with as few syllables as possible.

A rustle in the bushes caught her attention and she looked up in time to see him walk into their little camp.

Scraping the fish on the edge of rock to get the scales off, Hoshi's hand slipped and she cut her finger again. Out of habit she stuck her wounded finger in her mouth and stared at the ground. It hurt! And she wasn't about to let the asshole see her cry.

"Here's another fish," he said, dumping a small fish onto the cutting stone and walking away. "After you're done with those, be sure to collect some firewood. The fire is dying down."

He was exhausted and irritated. He'd just spent three hours waiting for the damn fish to swim into the shallows. He'd even tried throwing stuff into the deep end to flush them out, but it just hadn't worked.

Glaring at his retreating back, Hoshi grabbed the fish he had just tossed onto the board and squeezed it. Her temper got the better of her and before she could grab hold of it, she saw the fish fly through the air and smack "Commander Reed" on his ass.

Hoshi couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips as Reed turned around and glared at her.

"Pick it up," he commanded like a petulant child, pointing to the dead, now-muddied fish on the ground.

"No," she replied, tossing a half-filleted fish onto the ground in protest. "I'm not particularly hungry tonight. If you want to eat the fish, you can clean them, build the fire, and cook them."

He watched and groaned as she put her hands on her hips in a definitive posture. She was going to pay.

"Furthermore, I can't see why you don't let me do the fishing. Your method is asinine. You're wasting time waiting for the fish to come to you," she declared, taking a step back as he took a step toward her.

"Pick the fish up," he repeated slowly, his inflection almost an animal-like growl.

"Make me," Hoshi taunted, backing into a tree and feeling her way around the large trunk as if the tree was really going to stop him.

The challenge was issued and he lunged toward her, intent on punishing her.

Hoshi shrieked, dodging behind the tree to no avail. He still caught her by the wrist. "You're just bent out of shape because I can net more fish that you can. What's wrong, Malcolm? Are you afraid of the water? Can you even swim?" she teased, gasping as he shoved her roughly against the tree.

He half heard her taunts, his focus primal and his intentions scattered. He'd survived the crash landing with one nerve intact and she had finally snapped that nerve into pieces. It was time to shut her up. It was time to show her…what, he had no idea.

Lifting her foot, Hoshi tried bringing it down on his foot. But he nudged his hip between her legs, pushing that one leg higher and exposing her.

He had one of her hands pinned above her head and ignored her fist that was punching his chest. With a twist of his body, he trapped the fist between their bodies.

"Let me go!" she demanded, twisting her head from side to side.

Grabbing her face in his hand, he smirked. "Make me," he breathed against her lips, claiming them harshly.

She groaned her protest, and in doing so, gave him the admittance he sought. He deepened the kiss. As he did, he thrust against her, lifting her higher so that she stood on the tips of her toes. Her heady scent aroused him and a hopeful thought stirred in his mind. If I ever get off this rock, he silently vowed, I'm going to the nearest brothel and getting laid.

He moaned in surprise as she wiggled the hand caught between them free and laced her fingers into his hair. She was responsive and warm and judging by her movements and sounds…willing. Breaking the kiss, Malcolm smirked.

Her eyes were closed and her lips were still pursed.

God, how he wanted to strip her bare and shag her senseless. But he couldn't let her know how much their brief interlude had affected him. Pulling away, he lowered her to the ground and backed away.

She opened her eyes slowly, not courageous enough to meet his gaze. Her body ached in places she didn't even know existed until now.

"From now on, you can bloody well catch, clean and cook your own fish. Just as you can gather your own fruit," he stated, unable to hide the husky catch in his voice. "I'm going to have a ration pack for supper," he goaded and walked away.

--

If looks could kill, he would be dead, buried and decayed. True to his word, he had a ration pack for dinner while Her Spoiled Bratiness had some fruit. As it did every night, the temperature outside had dropped to below freezing and they were locked into the shuttle. She had monopolized all the cushions and extra clothes, leaving him with a hard cot and the clothes on his back and a thin thermal blanket.

Somehow he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her when she turned to face the bulkhead in a huff.

"Goodnight, Your Highness," Malcolm said with an acidic sweetness to his tone.

"Go to hell, Mr. Reed," she retorted, punching the cushions for emphasis.

"You first," he mumbled, drifting off to sleep and banishing the thoughts of this afternoon to the darkest recesses of his psyche.

--

_She thrashed against him, saying nothing, yet begging him to take her. He could feel the anger thrumming in the air, which fueled their feverish attempt to consummate their passion. He wanted her. He needed her._

_Pulling the clothing from her body, he pinned her against the tree. Her shoulders were bare, as though inviting him to kiss them. He broke the deep, soul-searing kiss and dropped kisses along her jaw and neck and onto her shoulder._

_"Please," she begged, arching into him._

_He groaned, tearing the rest of her clothes from her body._

_"I'm cold. Please…" she pleaded, wrapping her leg around his waist and offering herself to him._

_With a blind lustful thrust, he claimed her._

_"So cold…" she chanted and shivered._

_"Mine," he panted, driving into her toward his completion._

"Bastard!" she spat, slapping his face.

"Do you want me to beg?" Hoshi asked, her lips trembling. "Is that it?"

As his dream gave way to reality, Malcolm sat up, his warm cocoon slipping and exposing him to the frigid air in the cabin.

"It's not like I'm asking you to give me the thermal blanket. And it's not like I'm asking you to get up and fix the damn heat…" Hoshi knelt in front of him, her jumpsuit bulky with extra layers of clothes. "I can barely feel my feet."

Malcolm stared at her, not really awake yet. "What?"

"I woke up and it felt like my feet were asleep. So I got up and tried walking around…" her explanation trailed off as she knelt in front of him. "Please…"

Malcolm pulled the blanket around her shoulders and got out of the bed quickly so she couldn't see his state of arousal. "Sit on the cot," he ordered, pulling the medical kit out of an overhead compartment. With quiet efficiency, he ran a scanner over her feet, set the scanner down and dug through the kit for the right hypospray. "This is going to hurt," informed Malcolm as he injected the hypospray into her neck.

She closed her eyes when he started rubbing her feet.

"Where are your boots and socks?"

"They were wet and I didn't have time to dry them before the sun set," she explained, wincing as heat suffused her feet and sensation returned.

"How long has the heat been out?" he asked, concentrating on the arch of her left foot.

"I don't know," she whined, trying to pull away from him but he held firm and continued to massage her foot.

Tugging on her foot, he frowned. "You've got to get the circulation back in your feet or you'll lose them."

Hoshi dashed the tears away, cursing. "I hate crying," she groaned.

"Then stop crying."

She bit her lip, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. She would either wind up crying harder and totally humiliated or she would make him mad.

"Why didn't you get the other blanket out?" He continued massaging her feet even though they were steadily turning a healthy pink.

"Th—there's another blanket?" she stammered, feeling heat course through her entire body. God his hands felt good.

Releasing her foot, Malcolm stood up and walked to the overhead compartment. "Next to the med kit." He pulled the blanket out and handed it to her. "I'm surprised you didn't found it in your search for ration packs."

His subtle taunt did not go unnoticed and she tried to stand up and go to her bed, but he pushed her back down. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked sharply. "I'm not done with you yet." He tugged his boots off and then his socks and pulled her feet into his lap.

"You need these more than I do right now," he said, tugging his warm socks over her feet.

She wiggled her toes, looking down at her feet. The pain had subsided, even though there was still a slight tingling sensation in her toes. "Thank you," she mumbled softly and limped to her bed, leaving one of the blankets behind.

He watched as she laid down and tugged the blanket around her, envious of the blanket. Without much thought, he pulled his blanket off his cot and carried it over to her bed, crawling in next to her and pulling her blanket around him as well.

"What –" Hoshi started to ask, but felt him shiver next to her.

"Most likely the damaged power cell finally gave out," he mumbled into her hair and put his arm around her waist. "I'll fix it in the morning. For now, we need to buddy up to conserve body heat…If you don't mind."

Hoshi relaxed against him and he pulled her closer, closing his eyes and trying to ignore his immediate response. Thank God she had layers of clothes on and couldn't feel his problem.

--

Opening her eyes, she winced. She must have spent the entire night sleeping on the shoulder she was currently on. An unfamiliar weight was settled around her waist and she scowled as memories of last night replayed in her mind. His warm breath tickled her cheek and ear and she felt a shiver go down her spine.

Yesterday's kiss had been…disturbing. Arousing, yet disturbing. She'd been kissed before, but nothing compared to yesterday. For that brief spell she had actually forgotten how passionately she disliked this man…how miserable he had made her life.

He had been cold, aloof and impersonal to her from the beginning. The perfect qualities in a bodyguard. Who would have ever guessed about the passion that lay under the façade?

Slowly, she turned onto her back and onto her other side, facing him and studying him. She bit her lip in contemplation and wondered. How old was he? Was he married? Well that's a stupid question. Of course he isn't married. That's why Jon was leaving her…to get married. He couldn't be her bodyguard and have a wife and family.

Malcolm's words their first day on the planet haunted her. He was suspicious of Jon. Was he right? Had Jon as well as Travis betrayed her?

Hoshi gasped as Malcolm stirred in his sleep, pulling her closer and inserting one of his legs between hers. She felt the same way she felt yesterday, like she wanted him to crawl inside her and take her to new… She shook the romantic nonsense from her head and scoffed. He hated her. She was amazed she was even still alive. "It would never work out," she whispered.

He opened his eyes, wondering why he was so warm and comfortable and fully aroused. "Bloody hell!" he grumbled and rolled out of bed, quickly crawling through the hatch and starting his day.

Hoshi stared at the hatch, her sense of romantic notions dashed. "I'd be better off falling in love with a fish."

--

TBC


	10. Getting to Know All About You

Chapter Ten: …Getting to Know All About You

--

"Damn!" she cursed breathlessly, breaking the surface of the placid pool. Her spear was all wrong and half the day was already gone. She'd spent the entire morning picking a branch and carving a tip onto it. Then she's spent the last two hours swimming in the pool of fish trying to spear them. To make matters worse, Malcolm had a whole string of fish thanks to her stirring them up and forcing them onto the bank.

He'd picked them off one by one and was now sitting on the bank watching her with a bemused expression.

God! She was hungry. Too bad she couldn't just spear him and get it over with. Admitting defeat, she swam into the shallows and made her way up the sandy bank. Her undergarments clung to her skin and she did something she'd never done before in her entire life. She put a sway in her hip and walked up to him. "Excuse me, uh, sir, uh, Commander Reed. Could I use the phase pistol?" Her voice was dripping with sugary sweetness and she groaned inwardly. Flirting was not her forte.

She looked like a drowned rat and he bit back a smile, standing up and slinging his fish over his shoulder. "No," he replied and started to walk away.

Blindly, she grabbed for the weapon and managed to take it out of his holster. Malcolm dropped the fish and made lunged for the phase pistol.

Just like the dying fish on the bank, the weapon fell onto the riverbank and bounced spasmodically as Hoshi and Malcolm made attempts to capture it. As if it had a mind of its own, it fell into the river and was swept away.

They jumped into the river, splashing one another in their efforts to grab the phase pistol.

It was almost within his grasp as he waded into the waist deep water. All he had to do was reach out and – A hand grabbed his ankle and yanked him under the water. He surfaced near the deep pool and with his fear nearing the surface, swam quickly back to the shallows.

He kneeled in the water, coughing and catching his breath, unable to see Hoshi. Hopefully she'd drowned. If she hadn't, he was going to kill her.

Her head popped up in the deep end and she smirked at him. She swam toward the bank, cutting a wide berth and trying to go around him. "Guess I'll have to make another spear," she said with an exaggerated sigh.

He dove toward her, tackling her around her waist. Water splashed around them and he grabbed her arm and hauled her onto the shore. "Do you realize what you've done?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Do you realize what a sanctimonious ass you are?" she countered, trying to roll away from him. He was lying on top of her, his leg insinuated between hers. "All you had to do was let me use the phase pistol. All you had to do was –"

Anger and revenge compelled him to silence her with a kiss. He smashed his lips to hers, no longer caring if he harmed her. The way she was going, she wasn't going to make it off the planet alive anyway. She shifted under him and groaned.

He pulled away quickly, his eyes blazing. Releasing her wrists, he scowled. He didn't need this kind of complication. Trying to stand, he gasped as she pushed him onto his ass and straddled him. Her wet hair brushed against his chest and he shuddered.

She was frozen on top of him, as though she were waging some internal war. Making the decision for her, Malcolm sat up and wrapped his arms around her, crushing his lips to hers. If she wanted him, she was going to have him.

Pushing his tongue past her lips, he deepened the kiss. Caught in sensation, he had no idea who moaned.

He unfastened her bra and tossed it into the river.

Her eyes followed the scrap of cloth, yet she made no move to protest.

Malcolm rolled her onto the soft sand and feasted on her breasts, alternating between the two globes like a starving man.

She thrust her hips up in welcome, and he pulled her panties down.

Desperate to have her, he kicked his boxers off and settled between her legs.

She was writhing beneath him, shaking her head from side to side.

"Look at me," he whispered, staring into her fathomless, warm eyes, and needing her to recognize it was him who was above her and not another one of her meaningless conquests.

He could feel the heat from her body and he moved against her.

"Please," she pleaded, thrusting up to meet him.

The look in her eye was his undoing and he sheathed himself quickly, closing his eyes as he did so. He was mindless, beyond caring, and didn't hear her cry out. Driving into her, he crushed his mouth to hers and met his end.

He had enough strength to roll onto his side. He just needed to catch his breath, then he would make up for his lack of control.

She was anything but ignorant, but she just hadn't been prepared for the raw desire he so easily wrought from her body. That desire was gone now, laced with pain and shame. Sand stuck to her back she felt him stir next to her, his breathing evening out and his hand starting to roam possessively over her body.

Slapping his hand away, she jumped up and waded through the currents of the river. "Don't ever touch me again!" she shouted over her shoulder and dove into the deep pool.

"Hoshi?" he called after her but she didn't respond.

He was dumbfounded. She'd been so warm and willing just a few moments ago. Now she was acting like a cold…fish. She'd writhed beneath him, welcoming him, even pleading with him to take her. And now she was acting like some frightened virgin.

"Bloody hell!" he cursed, standing up and pulling his shorts on. He noticed a crimson streak high on his thigh and his breath hitched in his chest. The proof of her virginity was clearly etched upon him, incinerating every preconception he had of her. The entertainment rags had painted her as a harlot with lovers around every corner, feeding his perception of her as a wanton woman.

He had misjudged her in so many ways and around every turn she had surprised him. He never would have let her starve or die out here but he wasn't about to let her know that. Every concession she'd made to him had been a difficult battle, feeding his developing fixation with her.

Previous conversations with her came back to haunt him. What was the use of having a life of privilege if one had no time to enjoy it? Her question had always remained in the back of his mind, totally unexpected and poignantly sincere.

She was supposed to be the feather in his cap, the diamond in his career. His career – his life. She'd turned his entire life upside down, laughing in the face of convention and taunting his very existence. He'd pulled out all the stops, taking pleasure in her pain, laughing at her as she found her footing in this new world.

He'd been cruel…like his father. Unknowingly he had become that which he'd deposed most – his father's son. God, he was an ass, a cold bastard who substituted his accomplishments for any semblance of warm or caring.

His epiphany shattered his resolve. He needed her, more so than she needed him. He wanted to go to her, but as he stared at the currents he had to cross to get to her, he couldn't bring himself to go to her. She hated him. Even from this distance, he could see the hatred in her eyes. She was totally submerged in the silvery pool with only her head above the water.

Pulling his shorts on, he bent over and picked the string of fish up. They still needed to be cleaned and cooked.

--

The sun would be setting shortly and everything was in place. He had repaired the secondary power cell and their shelter would provide them with the warmth they would need during the coming night. He'd even turned the heat up, making sure she didn't suffer frostbite again.

The fish were cooked and the ration packs were stacked inside the storage lockers. She would have her pick of food tonight, a small concession on his part.

Poking the fire, he waited and worried.

--

She floated in the water, her tears of frustration mingling with the warm water of the river's pool. It was kind of ironic. No wonder the fish didn't venture into the shallow currents to often. The water in the pool was warm and inviting, not at all like the frigid waters of the river waters.

Her stomach growled but she ignored it. She'd gone longer than this without eating. Besides, she really didn't feel like fish tonight. She didn't feel like eating at all.

She could just imagine the humiliation she would suffer when she went back. He had touched her and she had melted. He held power of her and the bastard knew it. Well if he thought she was going to give in to him again, he had another thing coming.

"Hoshi!" his voice called across the currents.

Starting to tread the water, she glared at him. "Damn," she whispered. I should have just kept floating and ignored him.

"You need to come in," he yelled, holding some clothing in his arms.

Feeling the chill in the air, she knew he was right. She couldn't stay here all night. "Put the clothes down and go away!" She would be damned if he would take the last of her dignity and watch her get dressed.

She watched in amazement as he set the clothes down and walked away.

She swam out of the warm pool and into the frigid currents, hurrying along the way. By the time she got out, her teeth were chattering and she yanked the jumpsuit off the ground and jumped back as something fell out of it. "Ration pack, two-oh-three," she read the writing out loud, jerking her jumpsuit on quickly. She grabbed the food and made her way to the shuttle.

This was the last straw. Who the hell did he think she was? She was going to enjoy cramming this down his throat, plastic wrapping and all.

She stomped through the woods and into the camp, where he sat by the fire.

He stood as he approached him, totally unprepared as the ration pack smacked him in the head.

"I'm not some whore you can bribe for sexual favors!" she spat. "Even if I was, you would be the last man on the planet I would willingly choose to bed!"

Rubbing his head, he bent over to pick the ration pack up. "This isn't what you think," he tried to explain.

"That was the most horrible act I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my entire life," she ranted.

Her insults angered him and he lashed out. "For your information, Princess," he sneered. "I wasn't all that impressed with the 'horrible act' either. I am the last man on this planet. I'm making sure you don't die in the event we ever are rescued. It would look bad on my service record if you died."

Her retort died on her lips as she watched him crawl into the shuttle. His biting remarks would have stung if she weren't already so numb.

--

TBC


	11. The Cold War and Detente

Chapter Eleven: The Cold War and Détente

--

A pattern emerged over the next few weeks, Hoshi and Malcolm hardly seeing one another, much less talking to one another. Without the use of the phase pistol, Malcolm made an effective spear to catch the fish that dared to swim where he hunted.

She watched him, keeping her secretive smile below the water. After his fumbling attempts to spear one or two fish, he'd leave. Watching her former security officer splash and curse in the water was her daily entertainment.

After he left, she would get the phase pistol out and pick off her lunch and dinner. She'd been lucky. Her pool was like a whirlpool, swimming with silvery fish and collecting things on the bottom. The major currents of the river led to this pool, the warm spring of water calming the violent ripples as soon as it neared its reach. That's how she'd managed to recover the phase pistol. The pool wasn't deep but he didn't need to know it.

Perfectly content with the status quo, she relaxed on a jutting shelf on the edge of the pool, pretending she was still treading water whenever he looked in her direction. Life was indeed good. She was her own person, self-sufficient and content. She'd taken her share of the ration packs and hidden them in the hollow of a tree deep in the surrounding woods. That way she had a selection of food for the next month.

Hoshi had no idea what she was going to do after that.

The thought that she would spend the rest of her life here with him woke her up at night. Her dreams varied. Some of them were her going about her daily routine with him watching. She'd even had a dream where she stunned him with her phase pistol and stole his fish. She'd actually woken up giggling after that dream.

Then there was the erotic dream – the one that woke her at all hours, the one that made her want to tie him up and have her wicked way with him. He'd used her in that manner, sans ropes, so why couldn't she use him?

She shook the absurd notion out of her head, her reverie broken as Malcolm cursed.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted at the fish. "Get back here!"

Caught in a fit of giggles, Hoshi took a deep breath and sank into her pool. Her eyes closed, she could feel the fish swim around her, accepting her as if she were one of their own. If she didn't need oxygen, she could fall asleep. After all, it would be a few more hours before Malcolm caught his first fish.

Hearing a muffled shout, Hoshi smiled. He was frustrated. Good! It served the bastard right! The ache in her lungs grew and she conceded defeat. She needed air.

The sight that greeted her as she broke the surface made her gasp. Malcolm was stumbling backwards into the waist-deep currents, yelling and waving at a six-foot-tall blue mass of fur.

"Run!" he yelled, jabbing at the creature which yowled in response, swiping its mammoth claws toward Malcolm and snapping the spear like it was a twig.

Taking a deep breath, Hoshi dove to the bottom of the pool, feeling the bottom for the familiar shape of the phase pistol. She opened her eyes, the silver streaks of the fish in a frenzy blinding her to the object she sought. She cried out soundlessly, needing to find the weapon and needing to save Malcolm. Her lungs felt like they would burst but she continued to search the bottom frantically. Finally her hand came in contact with the familiar metal and she grasped the handle and kicked the bottom of the pool, ascending quickly and saying a silent prayer that the pistol was waterproof.

Malcolm was downstream, shouting and splashing. It was as though he was dancing with the bear-like creature, drawing it away from her.

Swimming toward him, Hoshi started yelling at the animal.

The animal paid her no mind and lunged toward Malcolm.

The scream of pain lanced the air as Hoshi took aim and fired the pistol, hitting the mass of blue fur squarely in the back.

The animal collapsed and only the sound of the steady current could be heard.

"Malcolm!" she called, swimming toward the floating blue animal.

She heard him before she saw him as he broke the surface of the water. She swam toward him as he staggered toward the shore. "Malcolm! Are you okay?"

He didn't answer, coughs wracking his body. Stumbling onto the riverbank, he collapsed.

Hoshi caught up to him, rolling him onto his back. She gasped as she saw a nasty gash on his shoulder. Ripping her shirt off, she balled it up and pressed it against his wound. "God! Please don't die," she prayed.

--

"You bastard! Don't you dare leave me alone on this godforsaken planet!"

Malcolm frowned. Oh God! Is there no pleasing this woman?

"I didn't ask for you to distract the bear, you stupid ass! I can take care of myself. Wake up! I can't drag you back to camp by myself. I can't leave you."

Opening his eyes, he squinted. "I didn't ask you to," he grumbled, wincing as he tried to sit up.

"Just stay still and hold this," she instructed, pressing his hand against the remains of her shirt.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering why she was leaning over him virtually topless. Must be another dream.

"You're wounded." Hoshi stood and started to leave, but stopped and returned to kneel next to him. "You've got to stay awake, Malcolm. I've got to go get the med kit."

"Blue fuzz and teeth. It was heading straight for you. You're safe," he mumbled.

She looked at him and sprang up, taking off for the shuttle and med kit as fast as she could run. She didn't want to leave him alone, but she had to. She just hoped he didn't bleed to death before she got back.

--

Hoshi felt like she couldn't run fast enough. She skidded to a halt next to him and ran the medical scanner over him. His vitals were strong and the wound looked worse than it really was. She opened the kit and ran the scanner over the available medications, looking for the coagulant. The scanner beeped and she pulled the vial out of the tray and popped it into the hypospray, injecting the contents into Malcolm's neck.

He watched her as she ministered to him, his eyes glazed with pain as he regained his sensibilities. "I—I think I twisted my ankle."

Running the scanner down his leg, Hoshi winced. "You did better than twist it. You broke it." She shivered as a stale wind blew over them, reminding them of their curfew.

"My head hurts," he groaned.

Hoshi sighed as she ran the scanner over him again. "You have a concussion."

Malcolm grimaced as he shifted.

"You need to get up and lean on me," she instructed, trying to pull him up. "We've got to get back to the shuttle."

Malcolm groaned as he struggled to stand.

Ducking under his arm, she braced herself to accept his weight. "Serves you right. Next time don't play hero."

--

Malcolm winced, pulling away from Hoshi's touch. "Get away from me, you bloody nag! I can do it myself."

Ignoring him, Hoshi continued to bandage the wound. "You should have been a doctor, not a security officer. You are a lousy patient."

"You're not my ideal of a professional nurse, either!"

She pressed harder on the wound than she should have. "Look! We've got a long night ahead of us, so I suggest you sit back and shut up. It's not like you're going anywhere."

"I'll be bloody-well fine in the morning," Malcolm growled. "Just give me the med kit and go away."

Tugging the bandage in place, Hoshi sighed and knelt in front of him, her patience wearing thin. She took his foot in her hands and grabbed the casting material.

"God your hands are cold," he complained.

She read the directions on the casting material and ignored him.

He tried pulling his foot away from her and howled when she grabbed hold of his big toe and twisted the hell out of hit. "Leave me alone, you bloody sadist."

"Look, Commander Reed! Like it or not, we are stuck on this 'bloody' rock for the duration. I think it's a well-established fact that I hate your guts and you are equally enamored with mine. I could have just left your ass by the river to freeze, but I opted to drag your sorry carcass back here. If you want, I would be more than happy to shoot your ass and put you out of your miserable excuse of an existence." Hoshi jerked the rubber-like material over his foot and ankle, making sure the angle was right.

His eyes narrowed. "You've had the phase pistol all along." His tone was accusatory.

She didn't even try to deny it. "The whirlpool collects little gems like lost phase pistols, but I'm pretty sure we're not going to be as lucky this time around. I'm sure I was too far downstream for the current to have carried it to back to the pool."

--

TBC


	12. Glasnost

A/N --Thanks to TLI and Kate for the recent feedback. Glad you're enjoying the story. On with the UST and petty bickering. 

Chapter Twelve: Glasnost

--

"All that time," he groused. "You let me splash around with the spear and gather what little fish I could."

"Oh, you're one for talking," Hoshi countered as she finished molding the casting material around his foot and ankle. She stood and injected the contents of another hypospray into his neck. "You let me starve when we first arrived. You deliberately withheld food from me."

Malcolm winced as he swung his leg to the ground and tried to stand. "I was not about to wait on your royal arse, hand and foot. You're the one whose actions landed us here. You're the one who couldn't see past her own selfish nose to how your actions would affect others. What was I supposed to do? Call in reinforcements and hope they weren't the ones responsible for your abduction? I –"

"You assumed Jon was responsible for this and you were wrong. Don't you trust anybody?" questioned Hoshi wearily.

Malcolm jeered. "You're a fine one to talk about trust. You trusted your lover and look where it got you."

He could have kicked himself as soon as the words had left his mouth. She'd been so confident up to now. He'd wondered how she'd been managing, for she'd been spending the majority of her time in that blasted pool blowing bubbles.

Thinking she fashioned some sort of net to catch fish, Malcolm had watched her enviously when she'd walked into camp with twice as many fish as he caught. The little bugger had the phase pistol all along. She'd squirreled it away and had been using it behind his back.

Now he was at her mercy.

Malcolm watched as she pinched the bridge of her nose. During the time he'd been her bodyguard, he had studied her. The angrier she became, the higher she held her chin. When she was tired, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

He watched as she lowered her gaze and backed away.

"Like it or not, you're stuck with me," she said. "Says in the medical database that you will be laid up for six weeks while your ankle heals. We don't have a bone infuser in the kit."

Sighing, she added, "Look. It's over. Like it or not, we're stuck together."

Her tone was conciliatory but he scowled anyway.

"It all comes down to trust, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied softly.

"It looks as though we're going to have to start trusting one another," Hoshi said as she opened an overhead compartment and grabbed a ration pack. With quiet efficiency, she ripped the packet open and took the nutrition bar out. She held it out to him.

Her offer held him spellbound. Reaching for the food, he took her wrist instead. "I'm sorry." He looked from her hand to her face, unprepared for the look in her eyes.

He saw something more than concern in her eyes before she quickly turned away. He released her hand, taking the food and looking away. "Thank you," Malcolm murmured.

Taking the other bar out of the pack, Hoshi opened it and took a bite out of it. "You're welcome."

--

He was still sleeping, and she took the opportunity to go fishing and look for the phase pistol. Just in case he woke up before she got back, she left a ration pack and water for him, along with a crude crutch which he could get around.

Instead of her normal route, she walked farther downstream past the point of the attack yesterday. She needed this walk. She needed to break out of the monotony. Most of all she needed to get away from him. While walking, she scouted for a good branch to make into a spear.

Sighing, Hoshi took a break and sat near the riverbank. She needed to clear her head. The truce was too easy, his touch too profound.

She'd felt the familiar stirrings deep in the pit of her stomach. She should have pulled away but she hadn't wanted to, even though she knew what she wanted just wasn't possible.

Finally able to admit to herself that she wanted him, she wasn't prepared to admit it to him. She knew the mechanics of sex and inherently knew that first time with him was the exception and not the rule. At least that is what she hoped.

The possibility that they would never be rescued loomed before her. Her future -- their future -- was bleak without one another.

Yesterday showed her that there were dangers on this planet and that they would have to rely on each other to truly survive.

With the loss of their only weapon, they were defenseless. She had to find the phase pistol, the sooner the better.

--

Stumbling over some tree roots, Hoshi swept the bushes out of her way and made her way to the camp. She was exhausted. She'd walked a half a kilometer along the river finding high rapids and little hope that she would recover the phase pistol. So she had traveled back to their fishing ground and had used the knife to catch a few fish.

"Princess?" she heard Malcolm call out in distress.

"I'm coming," she answered, dropping the fish and running toward his voice. Maybe she shouldn't have left him alone so long. She heard a muffled sound and worried. In her haste, she fell over a tree trunk and skinned her hand.

"Hoshi?" His inflection was pained.

"I'm coming!" shouted Hoshi.

She crashed into the clearing, but didn't see anything amiss. She'd imagined him injured worse than he was, sprawled out helplessly and bleeding to death. Her imagination never did anything half-assed.

Instead, he stood there, clad only in his boxers and cast, leaning heavily on the crutch, with a rather perturbed scowl on his face.

"Where have you been?" Malcolm asked, limping toward her.

He was okay. He was mad, but he was okay, she thought repeatedly. Nerves frayed, her hands stinging, muscles aching, she snapped.

"I was out getting a manicure! What the hell does it look like I was doing?" she exclaimed.

She wasn't prepared when he started laughing, and she turned around and tracked down the fish she had dropped rather than be fodder for his amusement. She ignored him and took her time.

"Hoshi," he called out.

Finding the fish, she picked them up and composed herself. She walked back to the camp.

He had that superior, know-it-all smirk on his face when she strode into camp. A fire was blazing and she looked at it with a question in her eyes.

"I used the plasma torch to start it," he explained quickly, making a grab for the fish.

She slapped his hand away. "I'll clean them. You need to got off your foot and rest."

He slapped her hand back and Hoshi stepped away, dropping the fish and clutching her hand to her chest. "Ouch!" she hissed.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to catch her hand.

"It's nothing," she called over her shoulder and went into the shuttle. Moments later, she returned with the med kit and set it next to the fire. Opening the kit, she took the antiseptic spray and squirted her palm.

Malcolm knelt next to her with a wince of pain and took her hand in his. "This is a nasty scrape." He examined her hand closely, his breath brushing against the sensitive flesh.

She tried to yank her hand away, but he held it firmly. "It's nothing compared to your injuries," she said.

"It needs a bandage nonetheless," he announced, reaching for the large bandages with his other hand.

Trying to tug her hand away again, Hoshi huffed, "No, it doesn't. It'll be fine. Don't waste a bandage on this. We might need the bandage later."

Tired of her struggling against him, he pulled her onto his lap. "Shut up and hold still."

For once she did as she was told, exhaustion and pain stupefying her. He wrapped her hand quickly and set it in her lap, but made no move to release her.

"Why do you always fight me?" he asked softly, his breath caressing her cheek.

Whether the heat came from him or the fire she didn't care, but it centered in the pit of her stomach and radiated to every nerve in her body. "I—I d-do not." She stared at the bandage on his shoulder, a gentle reminder that he really wasn't in any shape to harm her.

He shifted slightly, leaning her against his chest. "Even now you're fighting me." His voice was husky in her ear.

What the hell was happening to her? She didn't want to move away. Was she crazy?

"I can see you're aroused," he murmured, brushing his fingertips against the wet material of her shirt. "You want me."

Hoshi gasped as the heat in her shot from her stomach to her breasts, causing a sensuous ache to build.

Drawing an impassioned trail from her breasts to her face, he turned her face toward his.

She was trapped as soon as she gazed into his azure eyes. He was looking at her lips, a heated look that took her breath away. She was weak and she would deny him nothing.

"Hoshi," he sighed against her lips before crushing them with his.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she returned the bruising kiss fervently.

It was over before it began, Malcolm pulling away and pushing her gently off his lap.

Opening her eyes, she ran her tongue over her lips.

"I want you too," he whispered, lifting his hand and pushing an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. "And I'm in no condition to offer you what you deserve."

--

TBC  



	13. The Dance

Chapter Thirteen: The Dance

--

And so their dance around each other began.

Days turned into weeks and Malcolm's recovery continued. He still had a little over a week before the casting material came off but his shoulder was healed. She was still fighting him…fighting the inevitable.

It was like dancing, following a set of preordained steps. Every morning Hoshi woke up and left the camp, returning a few hours later with their daily meals of fish and fruit. She would bicker with him that he was doing too much, never quite meeting his eye and always avoiding direct contact with him.

She seemed skittish but feisty.

He could hardly wait for the cast to come off.

"I'll be back before the sun sets," she informed him as she slung the fish over her shoulder and onto the table. "I'll make a water run today too."

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice fill with concern for she looked tired.

Pulling a backpack over her shoulder, she announced, "I'm going to look for the phase pistol."

"No, you're not," he said defensively, limping toward her.

"Yes, I am," she laughed and started to walk past him.

Blocking her path, Malcolm caught her arm. "We don't need it. You're using the knife to spear the fish. We have the plasma torch for fire. The phase pistol was a convenience. We don't need it."

"How can you say that?" she asked, finally looking up at him. "Look at what happened to you."

She was chewing the inside of her cheek and he could see the guilt in her eyes. "You're not blaming yourself for what happened to me, are you?"

She looked down at his bare chest, her eyes lingering on the scar on his shoulder. "You could have just stunned the bear if you'd had the phase pistol."

Giving her a little shake, he pulled her to him. "That's not true. Anything could have happened. I could have been gone, and you would have been alone. You could have –"

His self-recrimination was cut short as her lips brushed against his. It was unassuming and unexpected and over before it began. Did he imagine the kiss? Was he so desperate to have her that he was hallucinating?

Sighing against his lips, she tried to pull away.

"You need a day off," he murmured, running his hands up and down her arms. "You need to slow down. We've got enough water for the entire week. If you get sick, I'll have nobody to take care of me."

She chuckled and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. "I've spoiled you."

"Rotten," he confirmed with a smirk.

She was the one who broke their embrace, Malcolm letting her take the lead.

"Well. I guess I could clean the fish and –"

"That's my job," Malcolm interjected, limping to the table and grabbing the fish before she could get to them. "Why don't you go and get some rest. I'll have lunch ready in an hour."

--

"Why don't we skip lunch and both go take a nap?" she wanted to say, but walked past him and into the shuttle.

She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

--

He didn't have the heart to wake her up. He let her sleep past dinner, wrapping some of the fish and setting it aside for her. The sun had set an hour ago and the temperature was dropping. This planet's weather pattern was bizarre, tropical during the day and arctic at night.

It was dangerously cold after the sun went down, and he wasn't about to let her go wandering about. Something could happen to her. She could run into one of those creatures or, even worse, she could get lost.

She had a point, though. They needed to find the phase pistol. If Tucker and his men ever found their way through the nebula, they would need it.

They had been on this planet for a little over six months now. He'd assessed the shuttle the week they had crashed and he'd come to the realization there was no way he would be able to make the necessary repairs. There weren't enough supplies.

That's why he focused on survival.

It was all he could do at this point. He had to keep her alive. It was no longer a matter of duty. It was a matter of need.

He needed her, and he'd never needed anybody.

It was disconcerting and becoming more frustrating for him on a day-by-day basis. This morning had tested his resolve mightily.

Her timid kiss had undone him. He'd had wanted to extend the kiss, but she had pulled away.

She was so focused now. She wasn't the flighty, self-important royal any more. She was a woman.

And he wanted that woman.

He'd sell his soul to have her. In a way he was glad he couldn't repair the ship. He had her all to himself, no competition from someone taller, more attractive, or stronger. There were no crowds chanting her name like some demi-goddess, and more importantly, no imagined assassins around every corner.

He could protect her against the imagined assassins, but could he protect her from nature, or more importantly, from himself?

She stirred in her sleep as though feeling the turmoil of his thoughts. He stepped back when she opened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she mumbled, her voice still silky with sleep. "Are you okay?"

Turning away, Malcolm said nothing and hobbled to his cot and sat down, facing her and pulling his blanket over his legs and lap.

Staring at her as she pulled her blanket over her shoulders and shivered, he smiled. "There's some fish by the door if you're hungry."

Hoshi looked out the shuttle window. "Why didn't you wake me? I had so much to do. I've wasted an entire day."

His smile broadened. She definitely wasn't the same woman he'd met eight months ago.

"I'm not hungry," Hoshi stated, glaring at him.

"You need to eat. You've lost weight."

"Of course I've lost weight. I haven't been invited to any delectable banquets with the beautiful ice sculptures. And I've cut out the sweets."

Malcolm smiled at her remark.

Bowing her head, Hoshi sighed. "I miss chocolate."

He remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"What about you?" she asked. "What do you miss?"

"I never cared for sweets," he acknowledged.

"What about a favorite food?" she pressed.

He thought for a moment, trying to recall something…anything that would seem like a plausible answer. The only thing he could think of at the moment he wanted to taste was her, and he couldn't admit that.

Hoshi pulled her blanket tighter and smiled. "Oh, come on! Everybody has a favorite food."

"Fish," he blurted out irritably.

She gasped, seemingly surprised at his outburst. "Well," she drawled. "It's a good thing you crash-landed near a plentiful stream. When we're rescued, I will never eat another fish again. Shellfish maybe, and shrimp. But no fish.

Her mention of a rescue dampened his spirits. The only way they were going to get off this planet was if he turned on the beacon. And that wasn't going to happen. The only people looking for her were those who wished her harm. "What if we aren't rescued?"

--

TBC


	14. It's a Bird!

Chapter Fourteen: It's a Bird!

--

Stripping off the layer of clothes she used as pajamas, Hoshi wadded them up in a ball and shoved them into a bag. It was laundry day and she was going to take her clothes to the river and relax.

At least that's what she was going to tell Malcolm.

He didn't need to know about her plan to continue searching for the phase pistol.

She'd been hoping to take off before he woke up, but that hadn't worked out. Aside from when he was newly injured, he was always awake before she was.

His final question haunted her even though she'd brushed it off last night with a laugh. "Don't be silly," she had said, telling him to go to sleep and making like she was going to do the same.

She had tossed and turned all night and in the twilight hours she had fallen asleep, dreaming of birds.

Now she was up and ready to go. If she left now, she'd be back before Malcolm got irritable. Her stomach growled in protest and she packed the fish he'd cooked for her last night.

Sticking her head out the shuttle hatchway, Hoshi looked around.

The coast was clear. Malcolm was nowhere in sight.

She climbed out of the shuttle and gently closed the hatch behind her.

"Where are you going?"

She jumped, dropping her bag and biting her tongue to keep from crying out. Trying to act nonchalant, she smiled. "Where were you?" she asked, barely keeping the annoyance out of her tone.

"I was around back scavenging for parts. Where are you going?" Malcolm asked, hobbling toward the center of camp.

"I, uh…" she stuttered. "I'm going to do laundry." There really wasn't much to doing laundry. Doing laundry consisted of getting the clothes wet and laying them out to dry. They didn't have any soap.

"Uh-hu," Malcolm replied, nodding his head up and down but focused on the mechanical parts in his hand.

Instead of skulking away, Hoshi straightened. "Actually, I'll be doing all of my laundry, including the clothes I'm wearing. So I would appreciate some privacy."

Setting the parts aside, he stared at her, his cerulean eyes challenging her to tell the truth.

"I'm sure my clothes will take all day to dry," she chattered, inwardly groaning as her lie grew more absurd.

He crossed his arms.

"I'll be back before the sun sets," Hoshi stated with finality, and started to walk toward their established path to the river.

"Stop." His command was firm.

"Damn it! We need that phase pistol!" she declared.

Saying nothing, Malcolm smirked.

God, she hated that self-satisfied, sexier-than-hell smirk. Just once, she'd like to knock it off his face. "Well, I'm going downriver to look for the blasted thing. And you can't stop me."

The argument was over before it had any chance to gather momentum as Malcolm lunged at her and pinned her to the ground. "Wanna bet," he said with effort as she struggled against him.

"What are you going to do? Tie me up? Hold me against my will?" She twisted underneath him. "Stun me?" she asked with a smirk. "Oh, wait! You can't stun me. We don't have the phase pistol. Do you plan on sitting on me all day long? Who's going to catch the fish? Who's going to pick the fruit? Who's going to clean and cook? What if the bear comes back or, better yet, she's got a den full of cubs who are now bigger than she is? Are you going to kick them off with your cast? Are you –"

The rest of her rant was cut off as Malcolm muzzled her, planting his lips gently against hers. "If you would just be quiet for one bloody moment and let me explain –"

"What?" she snapped, pouting and wanting him to continue the kiss.

"I've been modifying one of the PADDs," he stated, his voice thick with need. "I was having a problem with it, but I think I figured it out. At first I was focusing on tracking the power cell. Then I realized the cell is probably depleted. So I decided to focus on trying to locate the phase pistol by metallic compound. I've got a few more adjustments to go and we should be able to go in search of it once my ankle is healed." He started to relax his hold, letting go and sitting up.

His plan did have a hell of a lot more merit than hers did. Her plan was downright asinine now that she thought about it. Did she really give a damn right now? No, she admitted to herself. Heat had unfurled in the pit of her empty stomach, reminding her of a basic, overpowering need.

It was strange. She had never considered sex to be a need. But she did now. She had been turned off and on by this man so many times she'd lost count. It was time to stay on. "When will the scanner be ready?" she asked.

"Hopefully tomorrow," he stated, moving off her.

Pushing against him, she shoved him to the ground and straddled his hips. "I don't suppose you'd consider taking a break and indulging me," she suggested breathlessly before brushing her lips against his lips.

Groaning, Malcolm turned his head to the side. "I—I can't."

Rejection! The fatal wound to any already new, frail, and excitable sexual libido! Oh, no! How could she have been so stupid? Casual. Think casual. "N-no, problem," she chuckled mirthlessly, pushing against his chest.

His hands were still bands around her wrists, holding her in place. "I won't," he clarified.

Ok! Now she was frustrated and confused! Not a good combination.

"I don't want to take advantage of you," he mumbled softly.

"Uh," she stammered. Would you mind if I took advantage of you, she thought.

Malcolm sat up, shifting her in his lap as he did, making their position more intimate than it had been. He pulled her closer. "I want you too much to be gentle. After the last time, I –"

"Bugger the last time," Hoshi growled playfully. "Need I remind you that you are the last man on the planet and I'm the last woman?"

"Hoshi, I –"

"Just shut up and kiss me," she whispered against his cheek.

"I won't stop at just a kiss." His hands gripped her hips and pulled her to him in emphasis.

"Good." She smiled, rocking against him.

Their kiss was sloppy and awkward as though it were their first. When they broke away, she gasped for air and he groaned with need.

Trailing a dewy groove along her jaw, Malcolm suckled along her neck.

She panted, closing her eyes and losing herself in the sensation. This better not be a dream. This better not be a dream. Please, oh, please, don't let this be a dream.

Malcolm pulled away. "Are you certain, Hoshi? If I don't stop now, I won't be able to."

Her frustration mounted and her anger rose. "Have I asked you to stop? Does it sound like I'm asking you to stop? Does it feel like I want you to stop? How –"

He forced her lips open under his, silencing her with a punishing kiss as his hands slid under her tank top and ran his hands up her ribcage.

Gingerly running her palms over his shoulders, Hoshi broke the kiss. How should she touch him? Does he like to be touched?

"Yes," he hissed.

"Huh?"

"Touch me here," he pleaded, taking her hands in his and placing them against the cotton material covering his chest.

She didn't know she could blush anymore than she already was. She'd obviously asked the questions out loud. Her embarrassment faded as he did things to her she'd only ever read about. It was as if he knew every place she desired to be touched. Her dreams were nothing compared to… "Oh!" she gasped, arching in his embrace and closing her eyes.

He was so slow, every movement deliberate for her arousal.

Yearning for something more, something deeper, Hoshi rocked her hips. "Please," she whimpered.

With trembling hands, he gentled her actions. "Slow down, luv. We've got all day," he murmured against her neck.

Her stomach growled and they both chuckled.

"When was the last time you ate?" Malcolm asked, continuing his assault on her senses and pulling one side of her tank top down her arm to kiss her shoulder.

"Y-yesterday," she stuttered. "Break-breakfast." Pulling her arm out of the tank top sleeve, she gasped as he nipped her collarbone. "B-but, I'm fine. Really. I'll eat whatever you put in front of me. Just please don't stop."

Exposing one of her breasts, Malcolm kissed his way to her lips. "I couldn't stop now if you begged me to." He cupped her warmth in his hand and claimed her lips.

The searing kiss ended when Malcolm pulled away and grazed his way along her neck and shoulder toward her breast.

Grabbing a fistful of his hair, Hoshi tossed her head back, her heavy lids opening skyward. Delicious sensation strummed through her as she undulated her hips in his grasp. She was delirious, her eyes open wide and watching the blue-gray sky, so much like his eyes, as he pleasured her.

A misshapen cloud flowed through the air, its direction erratic yet smooth. She paid no attention to the sound, the steady thrum of blood deafening her ears. "Ah," she gasped, twitching on his lap.

Focusing on the cloud, she mewled as Malcolm nipped at her collarbone.

The cloud drew closer, the sound of it growing louder. Flapping wings and various tweets and honks.

"It's a bird," she sighed, her voice almost dreamlike.

"Huh?" Malcolm murmured, cupping her buttocks and pulling her closer.

Arching her back, her eyes opened wider. The fire within her smoldered as reality flew overhead.

A flock of birds!

"Chicken!" she exclaimed breathlessly, pushing her lover away.

He released her immediately. "What the hell?"

She could hear the frustration and anger in his voice. And, for once, she was at a loss for words. She jumped to her feet and pointed at the sky.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted, instinctively reaching for the phase pistol.

"You've got to finish that scanner, Malcolm. We need the phase pistol now more than ever."

--

TBC


	15. Which came first?

A/N— Feedback is rare, but every once in a while an author gets a rare gem. I'd like to thank Kate for the alien chicken comment from the last chapter. It gave me and my beta, Kathy Rose, a huge laugh.

Chapter Fifteen: Which Came First?

--

The sound of the flock was deafening compared to the silence they had become accustomed to. Hoshi was in the water by the time he could hobble down to the river.

"Hoshi!" he called after her.

She waved at him as she waded out to the pool of fish.

The birds swam in the pool, feeding, then preening their feathers, oblivious to the presence of a hungry hunter in their midst.

Hoshi stumbled, splashing as she made her way toward their new food source.

"Be careful!" Malcolm shouted.

"I'm okay!" she yelled.

Holding his breath, he watched her swim into the bevy of birds. The birds paid her little mind, occasionally clicking their beaks at her.

"Grab one! Wring its neck!"

"What?" she asked, stroking the feathers of the nearest bird.

"Grab the bird and break its neck!" he shouted through cupped hands, thinking she may not have heard him.

She continued stroking the bright orange feathers of the bird as though it were a loving tactile experience.

Bloody hell! What the hell was she doing?

A bird between the size of a goose and a duck started to preen Hoshi's hair. She smiled, her laughter reaching his ears.

"Grab a bird and wring its neck!" he yelled, shifting from foot to foot excitedly.

"No!" The birds stirred, breaking away as Hoshi yelled.

Malcolm took a step toward the river, driven by hunger.

Holding her hands up, Hoshi yelled for him to wait where he was. She swam to the shore and he looked at her in shock.

"Why didn't you grab one?" he asked, his tone brimming with frustrated anger.

Poking him in the chest, Hoshi replied, "Don't snap at me! Did it ever occur to you that they might lay eggs? Eggs would be much more useful than a pile of bird bones. We only have a few more ration packs. They've lasted longer than you predicted because we've relied primarily on the fish and the fruit. We need to look beyond the here and now. You said it yourself. We're not going to be rescued."

Her voice caught near the end of her speech and her eye were bright with unshed tears. She was panting heavily, the tears spilling down her cheeks. "I-I, we, w-we need –"

Whatever she was going to say was lost as her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground unconscious.

--

He ran the medical scanner over her body, breathing a sigh of relief when he read the results. "You bloody little fool. Low blood sugar. You've got to eat something."

So many thoughts had gone through his head as he had carried her back to camp. The thought of losing her had caused a lump to form in his throat that had yet to diminish. They were walking a fine line between life and death. What if those birds had been toxic? What if they had caused Hoshi to become ill? Or worse, what if she was pregnant?

Those questions swirled in his mind as he made the trek back to the camp. The last question was impossible. His contraceptive was good for three years and he'd had it updated a week before he reported for duty at the royal palace.

In the deepest recesses of his mind their children laughed, so like their mother in looks and temperament. "Get a grip, Malcolm," he chided himself. The last thing they needed was to have children out here. He snapped open a smelling salt and held it under her nose.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she jerked away, Malcolm pillowed her head in his lap and reached for a ration pack he'd grabbed when he had retrieved the medical scanner. He tore it open and grabbed a chocolate-covered granola bar.

Coughing and trying to shove the smelling salt away, Hoshi struggled to sit up. "Stop it," she grumbled, pushing him away. "Leave me alone."

He held her down, intent on not letting her up until she ate something. He opened the chocolate bar and held it under her nose. "I'm not going to let you go until you eat this."

She turned her head away. "No," she fussed. "It's yours. I don't have any chocolate left in my ration packs."

"Stop being a stupid git and eat the damn chocolate bar," he snapped, shoving the bar against her lips.

Opening her mouth in protest, she almost gagged as he shoved it into her mouth. Her muffled protests continued, but he held it to her lips anyway.

"Please eat the chocolate." His tone was low and even, brokering no argument.

She started to chew and he smiled. "That's a good girl."

"I'ughm not a dog," she mumbled with her mouth full, her eyes rolling back into her head as she savored the flavors.

He laughed, more relieved than anything else. "You've got to eat more, Hoshi. I need you…to eat more." Get a grip, Reed! Why don't you just tell the woman you're in love with her?

His thoughts dissolved as Hoshi held his wrist and licked his fingers clean. Once she was done, Malcolm pushed her off his lap and stood up. My God! The woman is totally unaware of the sensual nature of the act. It wasn't as if she was trying to seduce him, yet here he was totally aroused and ready to take advantage of a totally clueless virginal novice.

"You can't not eat," he said, starting to pace and hoping she didn't notice the bulge in his shorts. "You can't go a day without eating. How often do you eat? Are you ill?"

"Chocolate is so much better than sex." She covered her mouth as soon as the words were spoken.

Well, at least she was feeling better.

"I-I'm so sorry, Malcolm," she stuttered, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. It's just a saying really."

His anger dissolved. It wasn't so much anger as it was frustration. And watching her just as flustered as he was was entertaining indeed. He couldn't resist. He bent over and whispered in her ear. "By the time I'm finished with you, you won't remember what chocolate tastes like."

--

Sitting by the fire, Malcolm watched Hoshi eat her chicken with renewed gusto. He had threatened to tie her down if she didn't stay at the camp to rest and eat. When she did what he told her to do, he had made his way back to the river. Luck had been on his side. Some of the chicken-ducks had climbed onto the shore to sun and preen. They had been easy pickings.

He'd managed to catch two birds with ease, none of the other birds paying much mind to the slaughter.

The meat was tender and delicious and he had to smile as Hoshi tore a big chunk of meat off with her teeth. She smacked her lips in an un-royal manner and she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "Tastes like chicken," she said with a smile, having put any and all reservations aside about trying to gather eggs from the birds.

Malcolm chuckled. "Yes, it does," he replied and tossed his chicken bones into the fire. "And so much better than eggs."

She set down the drumstick she had been chewing on and leaned back, patting her lean stomach. "I'm stuffed. I don't think I could eat another bite. I wish I could. I'd hate for this to go to waste."

"Hopefully it'll keep through the night. You know how cold it gets. I doubt…" his words trailed off suddenly as he realized something.

"What is it?" she asked, sensing his unease.

"The weather," he murmured. "It's almost dusk and it isn't cold yet."

Hoshi looked around her as though noticing the area for the first time.

"Of course!" Malcolm shouted, slapping his thigh. "That's why the birds are here. The weather must be changing."

He watched as she stood and gathered her backpack. "Where are you going?"

Her smile was akin to a siren's call. "I'm going to go take advantage of the seasonably warm weather and take a bath."

--

The sun had set and the weather was cooling, but not freezing. Neither of them had been to the river after dark. He had followed her down to the river out of concern for her safety. He wasn't about to slack off now.

The birds were gone, nesting high in the trees, their cooing lulling Malcolm into a relaxed state.

He stayed relaxed until Hoshi pressed against him, molding her lips against his and suggestively grinding her hips into his. "Once you get past the shallows and the current, the pool is warm. It isn't too deep. I'll be waiting to forget what chocolate tastes like."

Before she could turn to leave, he grabbed her wrist. "I can't," he whispered, looking out at the moonlit waters.

She tugged her hands gently from his, running them along the hem of his shirt. With little resistance, she pulled his shirt over his head. "I want you," she declared softly, slipping her hands under the waistband of his shorts.

He caught her hands and stopped her. "I can't swim," he admitted. "I c-can if a-absolutely necessary, b-but I d-don't swim."

Smiling and removing her hands, Hoshi stepped back. She turned her back to him and shimmied out of her clothing. His eyes lingered on her bum before she turned around and faced him.

She was beautiful, the light of the moon highlighting areas of her body he had fantasized about daily. "God, you're beautiful."

Pulling his arms around her, she stepped into his embrace. "Do you trust me?"

He nodded, letting her pull him into the shallows. No problem. He'd been here before. When she tugged him to go deeper, he froze. His footing was awkward due to the cast. The water was cold and he shivered.

"Look at me," she soothed, pulling him deeper. "In the current the water will only go to your waist. To your chest in the pool."

Malcolm groaned, stumbling slightly.

"I've got you," she coaxed, wading backwards into the pool. "There's a shelf in the pool. You can stand on it if you like. The water's waist high there."

The water got deeper and he barely heard her words as fear pounded in his ears. Suddenly the water grew warm, almost welcoming. Willingly, he let her pull him to the shelf where he settled comfortably.

The water rippled around his chest as he sat there. It was like a whirlpool. "No wonder you spend so much time over here," he said, his voice still a little shaky.

She sat next to him, his hand still clutching hers. "I knew you wouldn't follow me in here. It was my sanctuary."

"Am I that difficult to live with?" Malcolm asked.

"Oh yes!" she replied. "You're an overbearing tyrant, obsessed with shoving delectable chocolate bars down my throat in the hopes that I will seduce you."

They both chuckled and Malcolm pulled his seductress onto his lap. "Maybe it's time I show you that sex can be better than chocolate," he mumbled and nuzzled the spot behind her ear that he knew would drive her crazy.

--

TBC  



	16. Christmas Surprise!

A/N – Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've been ill. Anyway, there is another chapter between this chapter and the last. But I'm unable to post it on ffnet due to sexual content. If you want it, and you are of age, just email me. Thanks to Kate and Coconut Girl for the reviews. They are greatly appreciated and they encourage the muse.

Chapter Sixteen – Christmas Surprise!

Waking up had become an experience since they had become lovers. Hoshi insisted on sleeping outdoors, complaining the shuttle was too hot for her, especially now that she had her own personal heater. His argument that their camp wasn't secure even though they had recovered the phase pistol had fallen on deaf ears.

It had taken a few weeks and a few overnight trips to recover it. They had located the weapon a little over ten kilometers from their base campsite, finding it wedged in a deep pool similar to Hoshi's whirlpool. Thankfully, it had suffered no damage other than a depleted power cell. But that was easily remedied.

With the warm weather, Hoshi had planted a garden from the seed packs from the shuttle's survival pack. He'd never forget the day her first plant broke the surface of the soil. She'd jumped up and down excitedly and had fallen down weeping as soon as she had realized she had trampled the little seedling in her blissful euphoria of celebration.

During the nights, she was totally uninhibited, her passion for him rivaled by his for hers. Their days were occupied by the daily chores. Otherwise they would have spent their days pursuing each other.

The chickens were becoming skittish around them, finally realizing that, whenever the strangers that shared the river with them were around, their numbers were dwindling.

Hoshi had pleaded with Malcolm to grant the chickens a reprieve to see if the animals would settle down and go about their normal routines…like laying some eggs.

He had humored her begrudgingly, still concerned with her eating habits. He had taken to watching her every move. Old habit or new obsession, Malcolm couldn't tell.

She sighed next to him, stretching and yawning. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder, saying something unintelligible.

Smiling, he nudged her. His lover wasn't a morning person. "Good morning, luv."

"Humpf!" she mumbled, turning over and trying to go back to sleep.

"Don't be like that, Hoshi," he laughed, pinching her hip. "It's Christmas morning. I got you a present."

Her head shot up, her eyes bleary with lingering sleep. "What are you talking about? Has it finally happened? Have you finally lost it?"

Malcolm pinched her again and she yelped.

"So what did you get me? A fish? A chicken? An egg? Did you weave a basket? Do you have a special talent I'm unaware of? Although I do like your penchant for –"

Her words were lost in the passionate kiss Malcolm planted on her lips. Breathlessly, he pulled away, rolled over, and grabbed a small rectangular object wrapped in leaves. "Merry Christmas, Hoshi."

Looking at the gift, Hoshi smiled excitedly and tore open the makeshift wrapping. She clutched the present to her chest, the look in her eyes devious. "I love it. Thank you."

Malcolm grinned, offering his cheek for a kiss. He'd given her the last chocolate-covered granola bar from his last ration packet.

"I wish the entire bar was chocolate," she sighed wistfully.

"Why is that?" he asked softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"If it were, I would melt it, pour it all over you and lick every last bit off. Then I would –"

Pinning her to the ground, he crushed her mouth under his and teased it open lovingly. Coming up for air, he nuzzled her cheek. "I've created a monster."

--

Stretching the kinks out of their mid-morning tryst, Malcolm smiled. His gift to himself was letting himself sleep in. Hoshi was already down at the river and he listened for the telltale sounds of her ritual morning bath.

She would squeak as she stepped into the frigid shallows, then moan as she reached the warm water of her pool. But today he hadn't heard any of those sounds.

"Hoshi?" he called.

There was no answer, only the sounds of disturbed chickens.

Jumping up, Malcolm ran down to the shore. She was nowhere in sight. "Hoshi!"

"I'm up here!" she shouted down at him from a perch high in a tree.

"What the hell are you doing?" he questioned irritably, watching as she scooted out on a branch toward a nest. "Get down. You're too high up."

"I'm trying to see if they have any eggs!" she retorted.

He couldn't look away if he wanted to. The chicken in the nest flapped its wings in warning. "Hoshi, don't! Back away! Get down!"

She scooted closer to the bird.

A loud crack signaled the branch giving way, and it was as if he was watching in slow motion as the branch and its occupants plummet to the ground.

Hoshi was groaning by the time he reached her. "You bloody little fool!" he yelled, his voice tinged with relief as she sat up. "You could've broken your neck. What a stupid, irresponsible stunt!"

"I was going to get you some eggs for Christmas," Hoshi replied with a groan, kneeling forward and rubbing her rump. Trying to smile bravely through her discomfort, she continued, "It's the thought that counts."

"Bugger the thought!" Malcolm ranted as he paced back and forth in front of her. "Do you realize what could have happened?"

As if expecting an answer, he stopped and knelt in front of her. "I should bend you over my knee and give you a good spanking." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her for emphasis.

Grinning, Hoshi licked her lips. "Oh! We haven't tried that yet."

She was incorrigible. That's why he loved her. The realization scared the shit out of him.

As if sensing his momentary weakness, Hoshi jumped up and raced into the river. "Last one in is a rotten egg!

He stared at her retreating backside. Bad puns and all, he loved this woman.

--

Hoshi sat pouting on the ledge in their pool. He hadn't followed her in like she'd hoped. Oh, well. Maybe it was for the best. She was sorer than hell from the fall, but she wasn't about to let on that she was hurting. And there weren't even any damn eggs in that nest!

Stupid chickens!

She watched Malcolm brood. He was angry with her. Thinking she could tease him into a better mood, she had tried goading him into the pool.

He aimed the phase pistol into the shallows and collected some fish. With quiet efficiency, he climbed onto the shore and walked back to the camp.

Sinking into the water, she let the warmth of it ease her growing discomfort. He must really be mad at her. Normally he was fawning over her like a mother hen if she so much as got a scratch. Now he was distant.

She broke the surface, gasping for breath. Maybe he was tired of her already. He'd been brooding ever since they had become lovers. Did he regret everything? Did he regret taking her as a lover?

So many things had happened to her since they'd landed. She'd had done things she never imagined. Her life was so different now, perhaps even better.

Although she was still squeamish about killing and cleaning the chickens, she had managed to get over her aversion to fish. She definitely wouldn't starve to death. She could identify which plants were poisonous and which ones were edible. Hell! She had even started cultivating the garden.

Most importantly, she'd fallen in love. Yes! She loved the stodgy, arrogant man who had made her life a living hell ever since he had stepped into it.

She loved Malcolm Reed!

She had even told him so. He just hadn't heard her because he was asleep.

Now here they were. It was Christmas morning and they were having their first fight since becoming lovers.

"Hoshi!"

An apologetic look on his face, Malcolm stood on the shore. "I'm sorry, luv. Mind if I join you?"

As he stepped toward the river, she moved into the current, smiling in welcome. Who was she to hold a grudge?

Going from the warmth of the pool to the cool middle current, a movement in the bushes on the shore behind Malcolm caught her eye. It was too big to be a chicken and Hoshi fearfully wondered if it was another of those bear-creatures.

Seeing her look of alarm, Malcolm had enough time to step back from the river and go for the phase pistol.

He wasn't quick enough.

Hoshi watched in horror as a beam of light streaked across the clearing, hitting him in his side.

"No!" she shrieked, fighting the current to get to Malcolm.

Water splashed in her face as it absorbed a phase blast intended for her. Someone was shooting at her! The shock of that realization made her freeze.

"What are you doing?" an angry, familiar voice exclaimed.

She saw Jon running toward Trip, who was aiming a pistol at her, and she felt a heavy thud in her chest. Malcolm had been right all along. In her anguish, she stumbled on the riverbed. This time the phase blast went over her shoulder.

Her frightened gaze lingered on Malcolm's prone from. Then she saw Jon running. She didn't know where he was running as she felt the tug of renewed panic.

She let the current carry her away.

--

TBC


	17. Swept Away

Chapter Seventeen – Swept Away

--

Trip fired another shot at Hoshi who was luckily beyond range of the weapon. Jon could see her arms moving as though she was swimming.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. This just didn't make sense.

Jon tackled Trip, grabbing his wrist, banging it on the ground, and trying to loosen Trip's grip on the phase pistol.

"She's getting away!" Trip hissed.

Trip struggled and Jon punched him, trying to subdue the man who had helped him search the last three months for Hoshi. He continued to struggle and Jon wrapped his hand around Trip's throat and squeezed, rage ensnaring him.

Didn't Trip realize he could have injured her? She could have drowned. They were both at the edge of reason, frustrated by having spent the past month fruitlessly searching in the nebula. Their government had abandoned the search for Hoshi months ago, but Jon had refused to give up.

Her mother had been devastated, and public opinion, although sympathetic at first, had quickly turned as it became clear how much the search and rescue was costing them. Jon had cashed in his savings, broken off the engagement with Elizabeth and started looking for Hoshi. Trip had approached him, offering his services.

Jon released his hold on his throat once Trip started coughing. It was over. Hoshi was alive and her abductor was apprehended. Adrenaline pumped through him and he stared at the ground.

He ignored Trip as the younger man rolled away from him, clasping his throat and retching. Jon picked up Trip's phase pistol and ran a hand through his hair. "She could have drowned if you had stunned her, Trip. Did you even think about that?"

Trip spit on the ground and gasped for air in response.

Nudging Malcolm's body, Jon resisted the urge to kick the shit out of him.

"Give me the phase pistol," Trip rasped.

Jon looked at the weapon in his hand, Trip's almost desperate plea sending a chill down his spine. The phase pistol wasn't set on stun like his. It was set to kill.

Months of conversation with his "friend" fell into place and a question Trip had frequently asked replayed in his mind. What if she ran when she saw him? Jon had always reassured him that she wouldn't.

Malcolm had disappeared right along with Hoshi. Jon had assumed Malcolm had been responsible.

"Give me the phase pistol, Jon!" Trip demanded, standing and holding his hand out.

Jon backed away. His savings hadn't been much and the ship he had purchased didn't amount to much. It had been deemed not fit for space travel and ready for scrap. He'd been blinded by Trip's innate engineering abilities to refuse Trip's offer. But something had bothered him ever since Trip had shown up – the other man's unexplained absence at the time of Hoshi's disappearance.

Trip had always been on the shifty side but Jon had always accepted that as part of Trip's character. Jon held the proof of Trip's treachery in his hand. He had tried to kill Hoshi. Adjusting the setting of the phase pistol to stun, Jon pointed it at Trip. "Why, Trip?"

"Why what, Jon?" Trip smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes.

"Don't," Jon said, tightening his grip on the weapon.

Trip's smile turned into a sneer and he threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender. "Even now you're trying to save her. How noble. How disgustingly noble. You were her surrogate father for how long? Putting your life on hold for the privileged brat. You wasted over twenty years protecting a symbol. A symbol of a government that needs to rid itself of archaic notions.

"I'm not the only one who feels this way. You're an old man, Jon. You can't spend your entire life trying to save her. You've already sacrificed so much. Elizabeth will never take you back now."

Jon's grip on the phase pistol loosened as he listened to Trip. The mention of his fiancée wounded him.

"There are others who will do worse than me," Trip scoffed.

Behind him, Malcolm groaned, and Jon glanced anxiously over his shoulder.

"I should have killed her when I had the chance," Trip stated, his inflection even yet mercenary. "But Travis wouldn't let me. He wanted to ransom her. He wanted to collect the ransom, then sell her to the Orions.

"The Orions were champing at the bit for the opportunity but I didn't count on yer successor there following us. He caught up with us and spirited her away before I knew what was happening. I can't believe they survived. Their shuttle had taken heavy damage and they had even ejected the warp core. But I couldn't take the chance that they had survived. The search dragged on and the damn Orions pulled their funding because it was eating into their profit margin. Then our government stopped lookin' for her and I heard that you were going after her. I knew if anybody could find her, it would be you. You'd always managed to track her down before."

Malcolm groaned again, beginning to move as he started to come around.

Backing away from Trip, Jon knelt next to Malcolm, the man who had consumed his thoughts with hatred and revenge ever since Hoshi had disappeared.

Ending the standoff, Trip rushed Jon.

Jon didn't hesitate to pull the trigger and Trip fell to the ground unconscious.

--

Malcolm tried to sit up but an unfamiliar voice and a strong hand held him down. His thoughts were muddled as though he had been in a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Just lay still, Malcolm."

He froze, the fog lifting in his mind and memories rushing him to panic. He kept his eyes closed, feigning weakness.

"Hoshi's a good swimmer. She'll be fine," Jon spoke more to himself than he did Malcolm.

He opened his eyes and glared at Jon's back. Making a grab for Jon's phase pistol, Malcolm was easily deflected.

"What the hell are you doing, Reed?" Jon asked with unrestrained disdain as he glared at him and pulled his weapon.

"Where is she?" Malcolm asked, his eyes going from Tucker, bound hand and foot with cuffs, to Archer's hand. "What happened? Did your buddy double-cross you? Why not just kill him?" What hadn't he just killed him for that matter?

Lowering his weapon, Jon sighed. "This isn't what it looks like, Malcolm.

Malcolm cocked his head to one side. "I suppose you're going to tell me you had nothing to do with Hoshi's abduction. How much were you hoping to get for her? How long did you and Mayweather plan it? How –"

"I had nothing to do with this."

Malcolm scoffed. "You changed her schedule at the last minute. You sent us to a port where the grid was weak."

Jon was silent and Malcolm looked around him, trying to ascertain some strategic advantage to overpower Archer. Then something totally unexpected happened. Archer holstered his phase pistol and tossed the extra one at Malcolm's feet. "Believe what you want, Malcolm. She's out there somewhere and I intend to find her and take her home to her mother."

Staring at Jon's retreating back, Malcolm weighed his options. He could go along with the man he had blamed for endangering his lover or go look for Hoshi.

Malcolm stood up, swaying slightly from the lingering effects of being stunned. "What about him?"

Jon stopped, turning slowly to look at Malcolm, whose hand hovered over his phase pistol.

"As much as I want to kill him for what he's done, we'll take him back to Earth where he can have a fair trial," Jon replied, his voice laced with contempt.

Hearing Jon's declaration, Malcolm lowered his hand. "Where is she?"

"After Trip took a couple of shots at her…God! I was such a fool," Jon murmured. "Everything makes sense now. He was so sure she was in this nebula. I didn't even question him. I was desperate to find her."

"Wait a minute!" Malcolm exclaimed. "He shot her?"

His memories of the events leading up to this were fuzzy at best but he remembered seeing Hoshi in the water. He stared at the pool, waiting for her to surface and knowing she wouldn't.

"He tried," Jon continued. "His…the bastard had his damn phase pistol on kill. She was in the current, swimming away from us."

"Bloody hell! There are rapids up ahead!" Malcolm yelled and started to run along the shoreline.

--

Trying to keep her head above water and watch for boulders and debris, Hoshi's mind went blank. All thoughts left as her instincts centered on survival. The current whipped around her, whisking her in one direction, then another.

She was at the mercy of the river. It was deep and she couldn't touch the bottom. Hoshi tried to swim toward the shore, but she kept drifting closer toward the rapids. Up ahead she could see the many boulders that stuck up out of the rushing water. Hopefully she would be able to grab onto one and pull herself out to rest.

The current became violent, almost punishing as if it were enraged at her intrusion. It twisted and turned her at its will and Hoshi was unable to see where she was going. Her foot caught on something and she felt her flesh rip open.

The waves broke over her, unrelenting and demanding. Coming out of nowhere, a cold, solid mass stopped her forward movement, knocking the wind out of her. She clawed at the smooth surface as water forced her against the boulder. As if teasing her, the forceful water held her in place long enough that she thought she might be able to scramble up the slick surface.

A violent barrage of waves overcame her, dragging her down and buffeting her against the boulder, back and forth, as if she were a rag doll.

Finally it lifted and Hoshi broke through the surface of the water, grabbing onto the back of the boulder. Unlike the front, the back of the rock had edges she could grab hold of and climb.

The cold, ghostly fingers of the water relinquished their hold on her and she was able to climb to safety.


	18. Resignation

Chapter 18 – Resignation

--

Malcolm ran along the shore, scanning the water for any sign of her, barely hearing Jon's voice over the roar of the rapids.

"She's approximately fifty meters ahead!" Jon shouted.

Malcolm hurried over the rocky terrain and ignored the painful throbbing of his newly healed ankle. "I don't see her!"

"She's alive, but I'm getting unusual readings on her vitals," Jon said, finally catching up to Malcolm who had stopped to climb onto a boulder for a better vantage point.

"I still don't see her," Malcolm said worriedly and climbed off the boulder and started running. She's fine. She's probably hiding in the whirlpool.

He repeated those words in his head like a mantra.

Archer was on his heels and they traversed the fifty meters quickly. The sinking feeling in his gut grew. The whirlpool was farther downstream. Hoshi wasn't where he had hoped.

He scanned the tops of the ragged boulders frantically. Any hope that she had climbed onto one of them to safety was dashed as he peered out at them. "Where is she?"

Jon tapped the scanner in frustration. "I don't get it. She should be over there."

Jumping into the water, Malcolm climbed onto an outcropping. His breath caught in his lungs as he saw an arm hanging over a boulder. "There she is!"

Jon waded into the river, fighting the shallow rapids to get a better angle. "Hoshi!"

"She's not moving! She's hurt!" Malcolm yelled, eyeing the distance between the boulder where she was hung up and the one he was standing on.

"Malcolm, don't!" Jon shouted but it was already too late.

Malcolm leapt into the water, swimming against the current that was rushing past Hoshi's precarious position.

Pulling himself onto the boulder, Malcolm could see Hoshi's extraordinary predicament. She was wedged into a crevice, her head amazingly above water. He grabbed her hand and pulled with all his might.

She groaned as he gathered her in his arms and he pressed his lips against hers. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he murmured into her wet hair.

"I love you," he whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

--

She was flying, strong arms around her lifting her into the air. Malcolm's worried voice whispered reassuringly in her ear. The air around her stirred and she opened her eyes. She and Malcolm were at the end of a rope, flying through the air. "You're alive," she whispered reverently, her lover unable to hear her soft declaration.

The air swirled around her and Hoshi looked up to see the underside of a shuttle. Smiling, she wondered when Malcolm had found the time to fix the shuttle.

Peaceful oblivion claimed her.

--

The sound of voices brought her back to consciousness.

"How long until we get out of this bloody nebula?" Malcolm asked.

Who was he talking to, she wondered groggily. He sounds cranky.

"Fifteen minutes, Commander," Jon answered sharply.

Her eyes snapped open as unpleasant memories flooded over her. She struggled to sit up. "Malcolm," she called weakly, his voice laced with panic.

"Hush, luv," he soothed. "Everything's going to be fine."

Trying to recall how she had gotten there, Hoshi continued to struggle.

"Stay still, luv. You've got a nasty bump –"

"But he…they –" her words caught in her throat as she glanced behind Malcolm where Trip Tucker sat, bound and gagged. Her eyes were wild with fear.

"I was wrong," Malcolm stated. "Wrong about the captain. Tucker used him. You're on your way home, Hoshi. You were caught between two boulders. I pulled you free. The captain 'air-lifted' us off the boulder. You're on your way home," he repeated, gently kissing her forehead.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, barely able to hear what Malcolm was trying to explain. "M-Malcolm?"

Brushing her hair off her face, Malcolm placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Try to rest, luv. You're pretty bruised up."

He was right. She felt as though she had been beaten. She was cognizant that she was going home, but felt no euphoria over the prospect. She would be reunited with her mother. Other than her, Hoshi had no one else. Undoubtedly she would resume her royal duties and her life would go on as usual. And she would lose the freedom and the man she had come to love.

Silent tears spilled onto her cheek and Malcolm kissed away.

--

Malcolm let her doze even though she had a concussion. They were going home. She was safe, going back to the life she was born into. Their affair was over. Given the circumstances, it never should have began. Now he only had to tell her.

Her head was nestled on his lap and he ran his hand over her hair, memorizing the texture of it.

"You love her, don't you?" Jon asked.

Malcolm's eyes met his in the reflection in the shuttle window but he quickly looked away and didn't give the man an answer.

"She loves you. She came after you after I stunned you. Thank God Tucker's a lousy shot. He had his phase pistol on…kill," Jon whispered, the last word catching as emotion overwhelmed him.

"She never did believe you had anything to do with it," Malcolm replied.

Making some adjustments to the console, Jon glanced at Trip's unconscious form. "I'm sure it was quite a shock when I showed up with him."

Malcolm made a noncommittal reply.

"Are you going to continue your relationship once we get back?" Jon questioned softly.

Malcolm pondered the question, hearing the undercurrents in the captain's tone. He wanted her. He loved her but there was no future for them now. There was no way he could continue as her guard now. He was too involved.

"After we crash-landed, I informed her Royal Highness of my intent to resign. I plan on tendering my resignation officially once we return."

--

TBC


	19. Happy Birthday, Baby!

Chapter 19 – Happy Birthday, Baby!

--

Hoshi's smile was plastered on her face as she stood in line and graciously accepted warm birthday wishes from a senator. "Thank you, Senator. I'm happy to be back," Hoshi said, her voice demure and dull.

"Hoshi, are you ill?" her mother asked quickly, standing next to her daughter. The line of dignitaries stopped, waiting for the princess's reply.

Jon shifted uneasily next to her.

Doing her best imitation of a laugh, Hoshi announced, "I'm fine, mother. Really."

It had been like this for the past three months, everybody on eggshells around her. If she felt like she had been under a microscope before her abduction, she was even more so now.

After arriving home she had spent two weeks confined to her room, being poked and prodded and given the royal stamp of approval. Doctor Phlox had run numerous tests that her mother had insisted upon. During those weeks the queen had barely left her bedside.

According to the doctor, Hoshi had been in amazingly good health other than the concussion, the gash on her foot and some bruised ribs.

Malcolm had made no attempt to visit her. His absence had answered the question that had lingered in the back of her mind. The bastard hadn't even had the nerve to say goodbye.

After a week she had finally gotten up the nerve to ask about him. Her mother had been snoring softly, asleep in the chair next to her bed. Jon had been standing at the foot of her bed, visiting her.

_Getting out of bed, Hoshi hooked her arm through Jon's and pulled him into her sitting room. "How is Elizabeth?" _

"_She's well," he replied sullenly. _

"_So when's the wedding?" _

_Patting her hand, Jon sighed. "Postponed indefinitely, I'm afraid."_

_Eyeing her surrogate father, Hoshi sighed in sympathy. "I'm sure she'll change her mind."_

_He chuckled. "Not likely. I believe her words were 'I need more than you are willing to give me. Get lost.'"_

"_I'll make it a royal decree. She'll have to marry you and come live in the palace."_

_Jon looked at her in disbelief, then he threw his head back and laughed. "Aren't we a pair! Me wanting Elizabeth and you wanting Mal…"_

_She closed her eyes, feeling the dull hole in her stomach expand. _

"_I'm sorry, Hoshi," Jon stammered. _

"_How is he?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion._

"_He's head of security for the Macmillans."_

"_I didn't ask what he was doing. I asked how he was."_

"_How would I know?" Jon said. "His resignation was…brief and…final. He's not exactly the warm and fuzzy kind."_

_Although she wanted to cry, she smiled. "Trust me. I know. He hid the ration packs after we landed and I had to learn how to fend for myself."_

"_He did what?" Jon asked incredulously._

"_I was horrible to him," Hoshi replied, defending her former lover. "Although I don't think I'll eat another fish as long as I live."_

"_If I ever see him again, I'll –"_

"_Do nothing," Hoshi stated softly. "You'll do nothing to him if you see him again."_

Their conversation had ended there. Her mother had woken up and had started fussing over her.

And here her mother was still fussing over her. Hoshi laughed, clasping the hand of the next guest. "And how are you doing, Madame Clarmount?"

"I-I'm well, Your Highness," the woman stammered.

The people in the room seemed to start moving again and the line of guests and dignitaries began to walk past her. The anxious mood in the air eased and everybody breathed a sigh of relief when Hoshi greeted the next person in line.

She was on automatic pilot, greeting people and making idle chitchat with them. It seemed as though the line would never end.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Macmillian and their daughter, Stephanie," the doorman announced.

Hoshi breathed a sigh of relief. They were just starting with the untitled civilians so the line must be near its end. Screwing her smile firmly in place, she straightened her shoulders and prepared to meet the beginning of the end of the line.

A short balding man and his petite brunette wife bowed in front of her and her mother. Next to them stood their daughter, a timid eight-year-old with dark ringlets and a shy smile. "Your Majesties," the little girl murmured.

Hoshi barely heard Stephanie's greeting and stooped to take the little girl's hand.

Somebody moved to stand behind the child and Hoshi looked up. Her heart skidded to a halt as she stared into Malcolm's eyes. What was he doing here?

"Ah, Commander Reed. I'm so glad you could make it," Queen Nora stated, offering her hand to Stephanie's new bodyguard.

He smirked, clasping the queen's hand and bowing. "Stephanie has spoken of nothing else for the last week, Your Majesty."

Hoshi glanced from her former lover to her mother and frowned. A secretive smile graced her mother's lips and Hoshi's scowl grew deeper. What was he doing here? And what was her mother up to?

"Your Highness," Malcolm said, acknowledging Hoshi.

"Commander," she replied, hating his knowing smirk and wishing he would just go away. Here she was trying to convince the entire planet she was fine and she couldn't even convince herself. She had spent the past few months dreaming of him…wanting him. And with each day that passed Hoshi could feel the walls she'd had in place before her abduction going back up.

She didn't need or want anybody. Her path in life was set. She would follow it, carry out her duties, and ignore the empty feeling that felt suspiciously like indigestion.

--

TBC


	20. Manipulating Happily Ever After

A/N – Warning! Serious fluff content ahead. Thanks to Kathy Rose who picked this thing apart and pulled me through the rough parts. My grammar sucks and she pulls it together for me. Thanks to PJ for detail. If there is a really great part in the story, it's probably her doing. Thanks to all who took the time to review. Those reviews kept the story going. NC-17 epilogue will be up tomorrow. For readers, please feel free to email me for the chapter. I'm taking a break.

Chapter Twenty – Manipulating Happily Ever After

--

She was beauty personified. Her embroidered gold dress contained her feminine curves with a gentle countenance Malcolm envied. Her hair was swept into place high on top of her head with the royal tiara curving around the ebony silk. Errant tendrils had escaped the style and were framing her face and falling onto her bare shoulders.

He had lost track of the time as it turned into days, then months. He had willed the gnawing need for her away. He had resigned as soon as they had returned. Only Archer knew the real reason for his resignation.

Jonathan Archer loved Hoshi too. It wasn't the passionate love Malcolm had shared with her. The captain loved her like he would a daughter. Archer had sacrificed everything to find Hoshi, exposing those responsible for the attack.

The Deputy Prime Minister had resigned in disgrace when his son was convicted of Hoshi's abduction.

Even though Tucker and Mayweather were behind bars, there was still the matter of protecting Hoshi. Like Jon, Malcolm had become too personally involved to be objective anymore. Unlike Jon, Malcolm had realized he would be unable to separate his personal feelings for her to do the job properly. So he had resigned.

He had convinced himself that there really wasn't any place for him in her life. Hoshi would find somebody else…someone equal in status, marry him and produce heirs. That had been the real reason he had left.

He had refused to be the catalyst who brought centuries of tradition ridden off into the sunset with him.

It had been the best plan he could come up with. At least that is what he thought until the Queen had shown up on his doorstep a few weeks ago.

"_May I come in?" Queen Nora asked softly, her hood pulled securely around her face. _

_He was startled to see her unaccompanied and ushered her into the servant quarters with little regard to public scandal. The Macmillians' maid and cook looked at the newest addition of their staff with raised eyebrows as he escorted the hooded figure to his private quarters._

"_Won't take too kindly to that, Mrs. Macmillian won't," the cook said so that Malcolm could hear her. "She doesn't approve of that type of activity beneath her roof, even if he is a hero."_

"_Well then. I suggest you bloody well go tell her what I'm up to," Malcolm shouted down the stairs. "Nosy hag," he finished underneath his breath. _

_Escorting the Queen into his room, he closed the door far enough for privacy but not all the way for he knew they would have visitors soon._

"_I see you're getting along well here, Commander," Nora said with a smirk, removing her cloak. _

_Putting his hands behind his back and standing at parade rest, Malcolm agreed with her. "Yes, Your Majesty. Between the cook and the maid, my services are not really required."_

"_Why did you leave?" she asked quickly. "Surely you realized you could have any posting you desired. Yet you chose a private sector position. Why?"_

_Malcolm was unprepared for her questions and gaped at her._

"_Let me be blunt, Malcolm." _

_Hearing his given name, he snapped to attention and looked straight ahead, wondering what he had done wrong. _

"_My daughter is in love with you. Do you not reciprocate her feelings?"_

_He made no reply._

"_She's building her walls again. Hardly anyone knows what a warm and loving woman she is. She's even shutting me out this time."_

_Malcolm did not dare to speak. _

"_Perhaps I've misjudged you," the Queen said, gathering her cloak. "I had hoped you would admit your feelings and end this ridiculous row with my daughter. I had hoped that you could make my daughter whole. I had hoped –"_

"_I can't love her," Malcolm stated, his voice so low the Queen had barely heard him._

"_What do you mean?" Nora questioned, walking up to him and looking him up and down. _

"_It's not my place," Malcolm continued. "She has her station and I have mine."_

_He was unprepared when the Queen started laughing. "My dear, thinking like that went out during the twentieth century. There are no restrictions or laws prohibiting you and Hoshi from being together. She and I serve the people by their will. There are no royal bloodlines. The monarchy is obsolete."_

"_But I – "he stammered._

"_Thought wrong," Nora interrupted. _

_A throng of voices carried up the stairs and Malcolm watched as the Queen squared her shoulders and prepared to meet his employer._

"_What is the meaning of this?" a shrill voice asked from the doorway. A sharp knock quickly followed. _

_Nora opened the door and Malcolm resisted the urge to rush to Mrs. Macmillian's side as his employer swayed, realizing the Queen was in her home and standing in front of her. _

"_Hello, Mrs. Macmillan," Nora said with a warm smile. _

"_Y-your Majesty," Mrs. Macmillan stammered._

"_I've come to invite you and your family to my daughter's birthday celebration." Nora handed the stupefied woman an elegant invitation._

"_Th-thank you," Mrs. Macmillian gasped._

_Walking out the door, Nora paused. "I do hope to see you too, Commander Reed."_

Judging by his lover's frown, she was not pleased to see him. "Your Highness," he greeted her with a slight nod of his head.

"Commander," she replied, her scowl becoming more pronounced.

Looking over his shoulder, Malcolm walked away and smirked. She was angry. He was going to take that as a good sign.

--

The music ended and he watched her bow to her partner and walk away. The evening was almost over and Malcolm had yet to make his move. Hoshi disappeared into the crowd again, dashing his hopes that she would come his way.

"You said you would dance with me, Commander," Stephanie said with a pout as she fidgeted next to him.

He barely heard her for he was too busy scanning the cavernous room for signs of Hoshi. His lover truly had disappeared this time around. "Yes, yes. I know what I said. Perhaps the next dance."

"I'll dance with you," a bemused voice announced.

Malcolm spun around to see Captain Archer standing behind them.

With a speed that would have made any stalking female proud, Stephanie grabbed the captain's hand and tugged him toward the dance floor. "He's taller than you are anyway," Stephanie teased with a smile as she and Jon walked past him.

"She's a little young for you, don't you think?" Hoshi asked Malcolm.

Turning around, Malcolm grinned. "She likes to fish," he retorted.

She chuckled mirthlessly. "Judging by the stars in her eyes, she's in love with the captain already."

His grin faded. Hoshi had referred to her surrogate father as "the captain." Her mother had been right. She was shutting herself off. Hopefully he wasn't too late.

--

Hoshi stared at the mismatched couple on the floor and smiled. Jon was letting Stephanie stand on his toes. She felt disconnected and numb, purposefully hiding any and all desirous emotions since she had seen Malcolm in the line. All eyes were on her but she felt his stare most of all.

Why was he here? What did he want? If her thoughts could pace they would have worn a hole in the floor.

Taking solace in her icy composure, she turned to him. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly so that no one but him could hear.

"I'm looking for someone," he replied, eyeing her warily.

"Oh really? Who? What does she look like? Perhaps I can help you find her?" And get on with my life, you heartless bastard, she thought wildly.

He smirked that infuriating smirk – the one where he knew something she didn't.

"She's petite, a little shorter than I am. She's wearing a gold, sleeveless gown, her hair the color of the darkest silk," he purred next to her ear

Feeling the familiar stab of desire pool in her stomach, she turned to leave. She didn't want this. She didn't need it. She wouldn't survive another round with him.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the dance floor and into an intimate embrace. "I'm not letting you go again."

A flash went off and Hoshi pushed against him. The newspapers had been speculating for months about their relationship. She didn't need a scandal now. "What do you want?" she asked, panting from the effort to escape his grasp.

"You," he murmured against her hair.

Closing her eyes, Hoshi allowed herself a moment to relax and regroup to get away from him. She inhaled, the scent of him driving a spear of lust through her soul. "You gave me up months ago," she stammered, willing her limbs to carrying out her orders and push him away.

"I was a fool. A daft fool," he explained, the warmth of his voice against the shell of her ear. "Your mother set me straight."

She knew it! Her mother was involved. Malcolm's hand rubbed concentric circles in the small of her back and she groaned.

"I let the supposed class division get in my way. I thought –"

Pressing her lips against his, she silenced him.

"You stupid git! You didn't even say goodbye," she accused. "You left me."

Maclolm rained kisses along her jaw. "Never again. I'll never leave you again."

"It was a cowardly thing to do, Malcolm," Hoshi continued, receiving his kisses and ignoring the flash bulbs that were going off around them.

"I'm a coward," he agreed, his desire for her growing as she melted against him.

"You'll need to be stronger if you are going to be my husband," she stated with a quivering smile.

He pulled away, a look of awe on his face. "Are you proposing?"

Another flash went off and Hoshi buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Look at me, luv." Malcolm pulled away and titled her face up. "Tell me. Say the words."

Unspent tears shimmered in her eyes. "I love you, you daft idiot. You have to marry me. Think of the scandal. The –"

Malcolm claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, silencing her reasons and giving her the answer they both desired.

The sound of glass shattering broke them apart and stole the attention of the photographers. Hoshi saw her mother scurry past guests and make her way to the kitchens, closely trailed by Jon.

Hoshi and Malcolm followed him, a woman's shrill, screaming voice echoing down the hall.

"You let me go this instant!"

Hoshi gasped when she entered the kitchen. Her mother looked panicked. Jon looked furious and Elizabeth looked like death warmed over. She was face-down on a catering table, a guard pinning one of her arms behind her back. One royal guard was nursing what looked suspiciously like a bite mark while another was lying in glass.

"Oh dear!" Queen Nora muttered, wringing her hands. "It wasn't quite supposed to go like this. Let her go!"

Rushing to his former fiancé's side, Jon knocked the guard that had been holding Elizabeth to the ground. "What have you done, Nora?" Jon's tone barely contained his anger.

"Uh-oh. He used her given name. She's in trouble now," Hoshi whispered to Malcolm. It really was like a train wreck and she just couldn't stop watching.

The Queen threw her hands up in the air. "Well, what was I supposed to do? She refused the invitations."

Elizabeth buried her face in Jon's chest. "You kidnapped her?" Jon asked incredulously, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Well, what good is it being queen if you can't order a kidnapping once in a while?" Nora replied like an unrepentant child.

"Mother!" Hoshi chided her.

"At least you and Malcolm are back together," Nora grinned smugly. "When is the wedding?"

"Mother!" Hoshi repeated.

"Soon," Malcolm replied, indulging his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

"Malcolm!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"You said it yourself, Hoshi," he said mockingly. "Think of the scandal."

"You all are crazy," Jon muttered. He scooped Elizabeth into his arms and walked out. "I quit."

"Oh dear!" Nora wrung her hands.

Hoshi and Malcolm looked at one another and burst out laughing.

The End


	21. Don't Believe What You Read

Epilogue – Don't Believe Everything You Read 

_"Princess Hoshi's Love Nest"_

_Sources close to the palace report that Princess Hoshi returned to her private chambers last night accompanied by her former bodyguard._

_Rumors already had been swirling around the pair, who had been marooned on a deserted planet for several months._

_Now sources say that Commander Malcolm Reed's resignation from Her Highness' service upon their return home was just a ploy to lessen the public curiosity about their private dealings. In addition, sources say that the couple decided to tone things down for a time in order for Queen Nora to become used to the idea that her daughter was in love with a commoner._

_Last night, for the first time since their return, the couple was seen engaging in intimate caresses at the princess' birthday bash._

_Reed currently is in the employ of the Reginald Macmillian family, providing security for their 7-year-old daughter, Stephanie.It was in this capacity that he was at the party._

_There is some speculation that Princess Hoshi's former chief of security, Captain Jonathan Archer, had a hand in getting the couple together. He was seen taking the young Miss Macmillian off Reed's hands so that the lovers could spend time together alone._

"_They were practically making love on the dance floor," said one shocked matron who wished to remain anonymous. "Who knows what they would have done if that poor woman hadn't been attacked in the kitchen."_

_That last reference is to the miraculous reappearance of Captain Archer's ex-fiance, Elizabeth Watson._

_In a twist rarely seen in royal circles, the party was disrupted by an altercation in the kitchen of the celebration. For a reason yet unknown, Ms. Watson's abductors had brought her to the scene._

_One source reports that her abductors were wearing royal guard uniforms, but a spokesman for the palace denied that rumor._

_"As we all know, the queen is a model of decorum and dignity," the spokesman said. "To even think she would have something to do with a criminal act such as kidnapping borders on treason."_

_Princess Hoshi and Reed were on hand for the rescue of Captain Archer's ex-fiance, as was the queen._

_However, the princess and her lover left the party by themselves and were seen entering her chambers alone. As of this morning, there have been no reports that they have emerged from the love lair._

_Odds-makers from the gambling district report that betting has already started on when the couple will wed. In addition, there is heavy interest in the pool set up for the next royal birth._

_Odds are running 2 to 1 that the birth will be no later than nine months from now._

Hoshi finished reading out loud and folded the paper, glancing up at her fiancée over a cup of tea. She set the cup in the saucer and smiled. She didn't know which was funnier, the article or the outraged expression on Malcolm's face.

The poor man. He would just have to get used to it.

FIN


End file.
